


Forget Me Not.

by BumbleBeeBri



Category: No Fandom, Original Content, Original Work
Genre: Big Gay Love Story, Black Romance, Everyone Is Gay, Fiction, Gay, Gay Male Character, Gay Sex, Kidnapping, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Character of Color, LGBTQ Themes, Love, M/M, Memory Loss, Murder, Older Man/Younger Man, Original Fiction, Queer Character, Rape/Non-con Elements, Repressed Memories, Romance, Trauma, Violence, black love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:08:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 48
Words: 163,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26200915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BumbleBeeBri/pseuds/BumbleBeeBri
Summary: Cairo Jones is a twenty-two year old man who has had a hard life. He was bullied in both middle school and high school, and it has left him with a fear of messing up and making mistakes. He lives with his best friend, Fionn O'Connell, in a small two bedroom apartment that they both pay rent for. Cairo's dealt with trauma unrelated to bullying and he can't remember a single thing about it. His brain has repressed his memories of the traumatic events, and Cairo lives his day to day life just like any other person his age.After a night out at a club, Cairo stumbles into twenty-six year old, police officer, Dimitri Alexander. The two begin to see more of one another after that night, and they begin to connect on a more personal level. As Dimitri and Cairo orbit one another, a stream of murders begin to impact the city in which they live in. Dimitri's police team struggle to find who is responsible for the murders, as the crime scenes always come up free of sustainable evidence.One day Cairo goes missing, and the search for him begins. Dimitri doesn't know where he's gone, and neither does Fionn. Cairo's past trauma comes back to him in full force, so what happens when he's forced to remember it all at once?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

"You did good today, Cairo," was what Cairo Jones murmured to himself as he walked along the sidewalk. The young man's head was downward as he concentrated on making sure he didn't step on any of the cracks that lay within the pavement beneath his feet.

"You fed all of the animals and you made sure to give those who needed it, their medicine. Who cares if you may have accidentally left the gate open on the play area and all the dogs got loose?"

With his head down, Cairo didn't see the many glares that were sent his way by the people who had to sidestep him to make sure they didn't collide with his tall frame. There wasn't any daylight left due to it being just about eleven at night and the people who were out and about were in no mood to deal with a five foot ten man who couldn't even bother to lift his head and watch where he was going.

Walking a few more blocks, Cairo finally looked up and huffed when he saw the long line to get into one of the local clubs that inhabited his city. Club Fahrenheit had been around for as long as Cairo had been alive, which meant it was twenty-two years old. The club had been through a lot. It had seen many different owners and had been through countless remodels, some good and some bad.

As Cairo stood in line and shifted his weight from foot to foot, he eyed the rainbow flag that was attached to the front of the building. The flag waved proudly within the wind and acted as a beacon for anyone within the LGBTQ plus community who was looking for a good night out. Club Fahrenheit wasn't a gay bar, the owner simply wanted to provide a safe place for anyone who wanted to have a good time. Cairo had never given the rainbow flag a second thought, but as he stood and stared, he realized that it was a bit reassuring to see.

Cairo didn't know what he was, the only thing he knew for certain was that he wasn't straight. It had never been just girls for him. For as long as he could remember, Cairo never had just gravitated towards girls. He liked who liked, and sometimes that person was a boy. It was something he had never confessed to during his school years. His friends wouldn't have understood how Cairo could look at a guy and feel the same things they felt when they looked at a girl. To them, it wasn't feasible for a guy to have a crush on another guy, especially a Black one at that.

Cairo had never quite gotten that either, why couldn't he like boys? Why was it such a head turner when a Black man confessed to being anything other than straight? Why did he have to be considered an oddity when there were other men confessing to the same thing, yet they weren't getting the same treatment? What was so diff-

"Are you going in or not?"

With a start, Cairo turned his head and became aware of the people behind him. The woman closest to him looked at him curiously, her thick eyebrows furrowed.

"I am, yeah... Sorry".

"What was the hold up?" The bouncer asked as he eyed Cairo suspiciously.

"Nothing, I got distracted by the flag".

The bouncer glanced at the rainbow flag before focusing on the younger man in front of him. "ID, please".

Even though he was of age, Cairo still always got nervous whenever he needed to pass over his ID. He worried that he would be told to step out of line and kick rocks, or have his ID taken away because apparently it was fake even though he went through the process with the DMV to get it.

"Have a good night," the bouncer muttered as he passed Cairo's ID back to him.

The inside of Club Fahrenheit was dimly lit by the lights that lined the ceiling. It was like any other average nightclub. There was a dance floor that held people squished together like sardines and a bar that sometimes served low par alcoholic drinks. No one really minded though, because after the third or forth drink, they all began to taste the same anyway.

Cairo felt like he could feel the bass of the music in his bones as he walked along the outskirts of the dance floor. He made sure not to step within the cluster of dancing people because he was too tall and lanky to be bumped into.

"Cairo, mate!"

A smile graced the young man's face as he found a barstool to sit at. He waved a hand at the bartender who had greeted him with a warm grin.

"Hi, Fionn".

"Wassit? Can't hear you!" Fionn shouted as he vigorously shook a cocktail shaker by his ear. "Give me a mo!"

After finishing off the cocktail for the woman who'd ordered one, Fionn came and stood in front of Cairo.

"What're you doing here?"

Fionn O'Connell had to be one of the nicest people Cairo had ever met. Cairo lucked out when he was caught staring from afar one day in the common area of their university dorm building. Instead of being creeped out by Cairo's ogling eyes, Fionn had simply crossed the room and asked Cairo if he'd never seen a true red head before. Cairo had simply shook his head, too transfixed on the accent the other man had. Fionn was an exchange student who was fresh out of Ireland looking for a change of scenery in the states. After he finished up his classes, he'd grown a soft spot for the states and decided to stick around for a while.

"I got fired," Cairo explained with a shrug of his shoulders, "thought it'd be a nice night to come and visit you at work, I've missed you".

With a snort Fionn began to make Cairo a drink. "No need to lie to me, mate. We live together and see each other every single day. If you wanted to get some alcohol in ya, you could've just said so". He passed a drink filled glass Cairo's way and gave him a worried glance. "Why'd you get fired?"

"I forgot to close the lock on the play area and all of the dogs got out, but I got them all back inside!" Cairo rushed on, "so I don't know why I got fired! I really liked that job".

"Have you been slipping up a lot lately?"

"Erm... Yeah, I guess... I kind of lost one cat, but I found her like an hour later. I also forgot to give one hamster his medicine..."

Fionn's greens eyes looked at Cairo with sympathy. "Oh, mate".

"I know, I know," Cairo shook his head and downed the drink he had been given. "I just forgot, but now I'll have to start job hunting again. Hopefully I'll have something by the end of the month? I don't want you to have to cover my half of the rent..."

"You know I don't mind, Cairo, come on. I've got more money than what I can do with it. You not being able to pay rent for a couple months won't hurt me".

Fionn O'Connell was what most people would call a trust fund baby. His grandparents had been very fond of their only grandchild and wanted to ensure his success from the second he was born. This meant building a trust fund for him and providing him with enough money for him to have a more than comfortable life. Fionn didn't know what to do with it all, and he made sure not to let it affect his work ethic. Fionn still went to school to get an education and he still worked everyday even though he really had enough money for him to never have to work a day in his life.

"I know, but I'd still feel wrong if you did, mate," Cairo replied, trying his best to mimic his friend's accent.

"Oi!" Fionn laughed, eyes going wide, "I don't sound nothing like that". He pointed out to the dance floor, "bugger off, why don't ya?"

Flashing a smile, Cairo stood to his feet and pulled out his wallet. He placed a ten dollar bill on the countertop, "keep the change".

"'Keep the change," Fionn mocked, "it's not like I need it".

Cairo didn't respond as he was turning away to make his way to the dance floor. The man didn't get out much despite only being the ripe age of twenty-two. It was common for people to go out and have the time of their lives in their early twenties, but not Cairo. He only had one friend, and that was Fionn. The Irish man was a bit stereotypical in the sense that he could absolutely hold his liquor and drink anyone under the table, but drinking with Cairo wasn't something that was done often. More often than not, their Fridays were spent inside their small two bedroom apartment with the lights off as they sat on their thrift store couch and watched movies on Netflix.

Fionn didn't take many college classes, so most of his days were spent working nights at the nightclub as the bartender or exploring the city. Even though it'd been a good three years since he moved to the states, there was still so much that his Irish mind wanted to discover. Cairo didn't attend college anymore, he'd dropped out when he realized that scholarships, grants, and even financial aid weren't enough to cover all four years. He didn't want to take out loans because the man knew that he'd never be able to pay them back. Cairo's main focus was work and making sure he had enough money to pay his half of the rent. The man was a homebody, not by choice but more so by force. It wasn't very often where Cairo went out and decided to embrace being twenty-two and drink until he couldn't hold himself up on own his own two feet anymore.

Cairo never really allowed for himself to get sloppy drunk in order to forget about the grievances of his days, but today was different due to the fact that Cairo really did like his job. Getting fired was the perfect excuse for Cairo to loosen up his limbs on the dance floor and to throw back shots at the bar. Unlike Fionn, Cairo couldn't hold his liquor as well so it didn't take long for him to really lose himself to the alcohol.

From where he stood behind the bar, Fionn kept a watchful eye on his friend. He continued to make drinks as they were ordered, but every so often he'd search the crowd to see where Cairo had gone off to. His shift at the bar was coming to an end very shortly as he'd been there since Club Fahrenheit had opened. It was nearing two in the morning and as much as Fionn enjoyed his job, he was ready to go home. He also had the job of making sure a clumsy Cairo didn't manage to injure himself as he stumbled about the club. Cairo was making friends with people who weren't going to remember his name, let alone his face, in the morning.

It wasn't until Fionn witnessed Cairo being led off in the general direction of the bathrooms by a man that he'd never seen before that Fionn decided to officially call it a night.

"Okay, I'm off, Jess, bye!" Fionn called as he hastily threw down the bar towel in his hand.

He came from behind the counter and proceeded to weave his way through the cluster of drunken bodies.

"Sorry, mate, but he's mine for the night!" Fionn shouted, making sure his voice was heard over the loud music blasting from various speakers.

Cairo and the man who was leading him off turned to look at him. Cairo, being the happy drunk that he was, smiled brightly and flung himself at his friend.

"Fionn! Hi, Fionn!" Cairo laughed, "what're you doing here? Oh!" Cairo motioned to the man behind him, "this is Sean".

"That's great, but it's time to go, yeah? You're going to have the worst hangover in the morning".

Cairo peered at him with squinted eyes, "you've got these dots all over your face, Fionn".

"They're freckles, Cairo," Fionn sighed. "Let's go, sorry mate, you're gonna have to find someone else to give you a blowie".

Before Sean could offer a response, Fionn was leading Cairo to the door. The two men didn't live very far from Club Fahrenheit, so they began their walk home. Despite it being two in the morning, there were still many people out and about on the streets. It was a Friday night, so this was typical for the city. As the two passed by another nightclub, Cairo caught wind of a song he recognized and he decided to let it be known to everyone around him.

"Cairo, stop singing!" Fionn laughed, "no one wants to hear your tone deaf arse, alright?"

"Don't British people say that? You're not British".

"I know, thank you for reminding me. I spent some time in Britain for a long bit, you know this, picked up a few words here and there".

"Say it again".

"I will not".

Cairo nudged Fionn playfully and focused his attention on his friend. "Please".

"No," Fionn shook his head and sighed dramatically as he helped Cairo stumble along. "See this is why I don't drink with you, you Americans can't hold your liquor for shit".

"That's rude!" Cairo exclaimed, he pried Fionn's arms from around him and took a few steps on his own. "I can walk just fine, see? Look".

Fionn placed his hands on his hips and watched with an unamused look as Cairo stumbled along the sidewalk like a newborn giraffe. With the man's tall and lanky stature, he very well could've been mistaken for one. Fionn bit his lip to keep from laughing as Cairo promptly bumped into someone who was walking towards him on the sidewalk. The drunken man would've surely fallen and landed flat on his ass if it hadn't have been for the strong hands that gripped his forearms.

"Easy there," the police officer instructed as he held onto the man who'd bumped into him.

"Sorry, officer," Cairo laughed, he smiled sheepishly and allowed for his eyes to wander to a name tag. "Officer Alexander".

"Sorry about him," Fionn rushed to Cairo's side and pointedly pulled Cairo closer to him. "He's fallen a bit off the wagon, erm... He gets like this after having like tree drinks".

Cairo giggled, "say three again, when you say it you say tree".

Ignoring Cairo, the officer raised an eyebrow and spoke to Fionn, "I can see that, where are you two coming from?"

"Club Fahrenheit, it's just down the road there. I work there, I'm a bartender. We're just on our way home, we've only got two more blocks to go".

Looking up the road, the officer nodded his head, "alright, that's not too far. Watch out for your friend here, he doesn't seem too confident on his feet".

At hearing this, Cairo gasped, "my name is Cairo Jones and I can walk just fine, thank you very much".

The officer tilted his head to the side and smiled a bit, "sure you can".

"What's your name then? I gave you mine so it's only right that you give me yours".

"You're quite bold and mouthy when you're drunk, aren't you?" The officer asked, laughing a bit.

He wasn't taken aback by the way Cairo spoke to him. He was patrolling the streets around the nightclub, as it was his job for the night, and he was used to meeting people who were oftentimes very drunk. He didn't take offense to Cairo's words because he honestly wasn't being rude, more so amusing than anything else.

"I'm Dimitri Alexander," Dimitri greeted himself, "it's nice to meet you".

"Nice meeting you too".

"Alright, well it was nice talking to ya officer" Fionn spoke, "but I've really got to get this one home. He hasn't started vomiting yet and I'd really like to have direct access to a toilet when he does".

"I can understand that, have a good rest of your night".

Dimitri Alexander watched as Fionn hauled Cairo up the sidewalk. Once he could no longer see the two men very well, he shook his head and chuckled.

"I can tell this is going to be a good night".


	2. Chapter Two

Dimitri Alexander was a police officer going on three years now. He'd officially become an officer of the law when he was twenty-three, and he was now twenty-six. Even though three years wasn't a very long time, Dimitri had seen a lot of different things while being on the task force. He's seen people on their last leg from a drug overdose be brought back from a simple dose of Narcan, he's been on the scene of brutal vehicular accidents, and he's even witnessed people dying right in front of his own eyes. Despite being exposed to so many different things and experiences, Dimitri doesn't think he's ever had something stick in his head as much as Cairo Jones had.

It'd been a good week and half since the twenty-six year old had seen Cairo, yet he still couldn't get him out of his head. He'd seen countless drunk people making their way home from the nightclubs, so he couldn't understand what exactly it was that made Cairo so interesting. He wasn't sure if it was his happy drunk demeanor or the way he was hellbent on showing his capability of a simple task even if he was inebriated. Maybe it had been Cairo's big doe eyes, the way they peered up at him, or his short, curly brown hair. Whatever it was, Dimitri was interested.

The man was currently waiting in line to order himself a cup of coffee because he'd been in a rush to get out of the house and had failed to make his own. The line was relatively long so as he stood and waited, Dimitri decided to observe the area. It was the morning rush so there really weren't many people occupying the few tables the coffee shop provided. A few teens sitting at a table in the far corner were huddled together. Their eyes peered over at Dimitri every few seconds, as if they were waiting for him to walk over and reprimand them for playing a game of hooky.

Dimitri discretely turned his body away from the group of teenagers in hopes to ease their mind. To be particularly honest, Dimitri didn't care if they were skipping school or not, and he didn't quite want to talk. He needed his coffee first. His turn finally came to make his order and after greeting the employee, he rattled off his order.

After receiving his coffee, Dimitri turned on his heel and gave a curt nod to the teenagers before exiting the shop. He could feel their eyes following him out and he huffed out a breath of air when he was no longer in their line of sight. Dimitri loved being a police officer, but there were some things that he wish he could just do without. The stares were one thing in particular. Dimitri hated being stared at with such cautious eyes from people who didn't know if they should trust him or fear him. Police officers had a bit of a bad rep in his city, and that was something he hated. It was one of the reasons why he even became an officer in the first place. Dimitri grew up fearing the police, it was something that had been instilled in him since the day he was old enough to walk on his own two feet.

As a young child, Dimitri always did like authority. He was a natural born leader, he took charge when no one else would and he was able to fill a room with his personality. He liked helping people too, and when he was old enough to understand what exactly the job of a police officer entailed, he knew he wanted to become one. Dimitri's aspiration for wanting to become an officer hadn't been met with open arms. His parents didn't want him to take on such a dangerous job, and his middle school friends thought he was idiotic for wanting to become something that betrayed them and other Black males almost every day in the streets. There were countless times where they told him he was going against his own race.

Dimitri never saw it that way though, he never viewed becoming a police officer as something a Black man shouldn't do. He wanted to become a police officer to help take care of his community, and he wanted to show young minority kids that being a police officer wasn't a bad thing.

That's one thing Dimitri loved about his job. Being able to visit elementary schools and teach the children about what a police officer was and what they do was seen as fulfilling to him. He loved being able to reassure children that police officers weren't there to hurt them. Watching them smile giddily as they were able to hold his official officer badge was a highlight of his day whenever he visited classrooms. He enjoyed being able to help people as well. 

Dimitri always felt a sense of pride when he was able to aid someone in a dangerous situation. Of course he hated that whoever he was helping was in the position of needing aid in the first place, but he still enjoyed being able to get them out of it. It could be helping an elderly person navigate their way about the city or pulling someone out of their totaled car and making sure they stayed conscious until paramedics arrived.

Dimitri was now on his way to the police department because the first thing he needed to do was check in with his captain and switch to his patrol car. His department allowed for officers to take their patrol cars home at the end of a shift, but this is something Dimitri rarely ever did. He didn't like taking his patrol car home because he worried his house would be targeted. The city's community and police officers didn't have the best relationship, and Dimitri didn't want too many people knowing where he resided. 

The people in his neighborhood knew he was a police officer because oftentimes they'd see him departing from his house in the morning in his uniform or coming in from a long shift looking absolutely exhausted. Dimitri was fine with his neighbors knowing, he'd even helped a few of them out, but there was nothing stopping a stranger from a different part of the city coming to his neighborhood just to vandalize his house for being a cop.

Walking into the department, Dimitri was greeted by many smiling faces. He was friends with most, if not all, of the other officers who worked in his department. He had to be if he wanted to keep his job, as being a police officer often required working in a team. It would be no help to himself or to others around him if he didn't get along with anyone.

Dimitri had just enough time to grab his duty belt from his locker. He hastily fastened it around his waist and downed the rest of his coffee before tossing the empty cup into a trash bin. The morning meeting room was already occupied with other police officers when Dimitri walked in. He wasn't able to make small talk with anyone because the police captain had strolled in right behind him.

"Running a bit late, officer Alexander?" Captain Hutchinson asked.

"A bit, sorry, sir".

"No worries, I am myself, if I'm being honest".

Captain James Hutchinson was a friendly man for the most part. The fifty year old would hope that his officers saw him as both a friend and an authority figure. He could have a laugh with them every now again and still have a sense of power and being in charge. He worked exceptionally hard to be where he was today and that's something he took pride in.

"Alright everyone, may I please have your attention?" He spoke, smiling brightly when all of his officers immediately gave him their full attention. "First off good morning, I hope everyone's morning wasn't as haste filled as me and officer Alexander's". Hutchinson allowed for a brief amount of quiet laughter before speaking again, "alright, let's get through roll call and talk about what's on today's list of things to do".

Roll call was done swiftly and as Hutchinson began to discuss the day's plan, Dimitri hoped he wouldn't have to do anything too strenuous. He loved his job, but just yesterday he had to take down a man twice his size who had decided that lunging at him was a good idea. He'd rather not have to go through that for a second time in a row.

"Alexander, I've got you on patrol today, alright?"

"Yes, sir".

Patrol was easy, more or less. It consisted of driving about the city and making sure nothing was out of order. Dimitri never knew what he was going to get with patrol. It could be a light day of crime or a heavy day. He didn't know until he was behind the wheel and surveying the city.

Once the other officers were told of their assignments, they were dismissed. Dimitri found his patrol car in the parking lot and went through the routine of making sure all of the gadgets worked. He'd hate to start his patrol only to realize his radio was no longer working. Once he was sure he wouldn't be getting any trouble out of the technology in the car, Dimitri hit the road.

Whenever Dimitri was on patrol, he pulled people over a lot. It was often for small things though, like an expired license plate or a broken tail light. Whenever those type of traffic stops happened, he would try his best to let the driver off with a warning because fishing out tickets wasn't his type of thing. Of course he'd give out a ticket if he absolutely had to, but if the driver was cooperative and not combative, and they weren't a repeat offender of anything, then he'd let them go with a couple of words. That's what Dimitri's day mostly consisted of today. He'd responded to one radio call for an accident that had occurred on the road, but luckily it had only been a minor fender bender.

Once he was off the clock, Dimitri had decided to make a quick run to the grocery store because he was in desperate need of more food. He was running out of ways to cook the small amount of food that he had. It was later in the day, almost close to eight, so the grocery store was pretty empty. There were a few people roaming the isles and pushing their shopping carts in front of them. There was a small child shrieking somewhere, but Dimitri wasn't quite sure exactly which aisle they were on.

Swinging his basket slightly, Dimitri maneuvered the aisles quickly and grabbed what he needed. He didn't want to spend too long in the grocery store. He wanted to be able to make a good dinner and have time to relax before having to go to bed so he could wake up early and do everything all over again. Once he was satisfied with the items in his basket, Dimitri began walking to the self checkout machines. On his way, he saw a brief flash of orange out of his peripheral vision and he turned his head.

"How was your friend the morning after?" Dimitri asked, smiling a bit from where he stood.

Fionn looked up from the box of pasta in his hands, his eyebrows already furrowed. Once he realized who Dimitri was, he laughed. "Oh mate, Cairo was absolutely sloshed. Vomited half of his guts out, I tell ya. Had the worse hangover the next day".

With a slight grimace, Dimitri nodded. "I bet, he was quite drunk".

Fionn hummed, "yeah, he doesn't always drink like that, he's just going through it a bit". He waved his hand in the air, "he's somewhere around here actually, I bet he'd love to chat with ya, he rambled about you the entire way back to our flat, mate".

"Did he?"

"Yeah, wouldn't shut up if I'm being honest. I reckon he might not even know who you are, he didn't mention you the next morning, was just rambling on the rest of the way up the road".

Dimitri didn't quite know how to react to what Fionn had told him. He was kind of pleased to hear that Cairo had talked about him on the way home, but to forget about him the next day did sting a bit.

"I got the milk".

Dimitri perked up and looked towards Cairo who had rounded the corner of the aisle. He glanced at Dimitri and gave him a perplexed look.

"I think I know you".

Fionn snorted, "you do, you bumped into him while you were drunk off of your ass".

Cairo hummed and moved the gallon of milk from his left hand to his right. If Dimitri looked hard enough, he was pretty sure he could see Cairo's cheeks turning a faint red.

"The police officer, right?"

With a nod, Dimitri spoke, "yeah".

"What's your name again then? Don't remember much from that night".

"I'm Dimitri".

Cairo shuffled his feet, it was something he did when he was feeling a bit nervous. He glanced at Fionn who was looking at him expectantly, his eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Well it's getting late... And I have, um... Stuff to do?" Cairo stated, his voice lifting a bit at the end of his sentence, almost as if he were asking a question. "It was nice meeting you again, Dimitri".

"It was nice meeting you again as well".

Cairo took advantage of the pause in conversation and walked up to Fionn. He grabbed the other man's hand and began to quickly guide them to the cashier check-out stations. As he was walking away, he looked over his shoulder and offered Dimitri a brief wave of departure.

Before Dimitri could get his hand up to wave back, Cairo was facing the front again and Dimitri was left in the middle of the grocery store watching him go.


	3. Chapter Three

"I can't believe I saw him again," Cairo grimaced. "I thought I wouldn't have to go through that embarrassment".

Fionn chuckled from where we was occupying the couch, "don't be so hard on yourself, the man didn't look like he pitied you. He seemed quite interested if I'm being honest, mate".

"Fionn, please," Cairo sighed, "why would a man like him be interested in me?"

"What'd you mean?"

"I know you've noticed his... Physique".

"Well I'm sure you've got to be right fit to be working for the law. Lots of running about that one probably does. What's that got to do with you?"

"I don't know, I just don't think he'd be interested".

"You're quite hard on yourself sometimes, you know? Like proper hard".

Cairo looked at Fionn from where he was currently standing at the kitchen counter. He had his laptop open to a site meant for job searching. He'd applied for a few places, but he hadn't heard back. He was getting a bit desperate, as the day for rent had already passed and Fionn was the one who paid it all. Cairo hated himself for forcing the man to pay the full amount. It was his responsibility to pay half and that's what he needed to do from now on.

Cairo had only been smiling for a second before Fionn caught on and rolled his eyes, "how old are you? Thought you were supposed to be twenty-two".

With a shrug of his shoulders, Cairo spoke, "sorry, just sounded funny. Anyway, I think I'm going to apply to the other pet shop in town. I really did enjoy working at my last job, I made so many animal friends, Fionn".

"I know you did, I was the one you showed all of your pictures and videos to when you came home from work".

"You liked them though, right?"

"Oh, I absolutely loved them, mate".

"Good," Cairo spoke softly, his lips turning up in a small smile. "That's good".

Working with animals was a lot easier for Cairo than it was working with people. They couldn't speak words, but Cairo still felt like he understood them better, and he felt like they understood him as well. Animals listened while people didn't. If Cairo was having a hard day, the man always knew that he would have someone to confide in. His someone just happened to have four legs instead of two.

Cairo had always been infatuated with animals. It started when he was younger and his father had surprised him by bringing home a puppy, much to his mother's dismay. Cairo had been an only child at the time the puppy was introduced to him, so loneliness was all he knew. The puppy had acted as a companion, the golden retriever did everything with Cairo. He joined Cairo and his mother on the walks to and from his elementary school. He ran alongside Cairo in the backyard and always made sure to drop the stick at Cairo's feet every time Cairo threw it across the lush, green grass. He was there waiting on Cairo's bed every time the boy would sneak back into his house in the wee hours of the early morning. Cairo's dog watched him grow, and Cairo did the same for his dog.

"I'm going to apply right now!" Cairo exclaimed, his fingers already typing the pet's store name into the search bar.

"After you're done, let's go out and get lunch".

Shaking his head a little, Cairo glanced at his friend. "I can't afford it, Fionn".

"Don't worry about it," Fionn smiled, "I'll pay". Fionn watched Cairo's face contort into one of distress, before he could open his mouth, Fionn spoke again. "Please, don't say anything about not wanting me to pay for you".

It was silent for a moment while Cairo tried to think of something else to say. He eventually settled on, "well I have nothing else to say then".

"Cool, what do you have a taste for?"

"Oh, Fionn, I don't know," Cairo mumbled as he began to navigate the website of the pet store he wanted to apply to. He clicked on the link that would take him to submit an online application and resumè and he began to fill it out. "What about that Irish pub on the other side of town?"

Fionn scoffed, "absolutely not! The food there is rubbish, it's nothing like the food back at home. I won't let you be exposed to the trash food there. I don't want you to get the wrong impression of Irish food".

"I won't, I know what good Irish food tastes like, Fionn," Cairo insisted, "remember when your parents came to visit? They cooked up every meal they could think of. We had frozen Irish stew for months".

"Yeah, I remember," Fionn said with a nod and a smile. "The good Irish stew, not the kind from that imposter of a pub".

Cairo chuckled in amusement as he listened to his friend grumble on about the subpar food. Filling out the application for the pet store was easy and simple. It took Cairo less than thirty minutes to do it, and once he was done, he let Fionn know. The two were out of the apartment in a matter of minutes, and when they were settled in Fionn's car and on the road, Cairo spoke.

"Where are we going? We never said where we were going to eat".

"I... Well I honestly am missing home a bit... If I'm being honest," Fionn confessed. "I wouldn't mind some Irish food, even if it is from that pub that I'm not very fond of".

"Oh, Fionn," Cairo cooed, eyeing his best friend from where he sat in the passenger seat. "Why didn't you tell me you were feeling homesick? You could've talked to me about missing home". 

"Didn't want to be a bother, mate, plu-" "you're never a bother though," Cairo interrupted, huffing in disapproval.

"That's nice of you to say, thank you".

Fionn smiled and wondered how Cairo could be so nice. He was honestly one of the kindest people Fionn knew. Cairo had been through a lot in his life, yet he still managed to make sure that the people around him were okay. For as long as Fionn could remember, Cairo had always been that way. He was the guy who was friends with everyone in the class back when he was in college, which says a lot because the college classes were quite large. Fionn was glad he had caught Cairo staring at him from across the common room. If he hadn't, Fionn doesn't know if he would have ever noticed Cairo at all.

"Are you going to plan a visit back to Ireland then?" Cairo asked with a small grin, "I bet that'd be a nice trip. You always enjoy telling me about your time in Ireland whenever you come back from a trip there".

"I do, and you should tag along this time," Fionn suggested. "I remember you tagging along a few years ago, you had a good time, didn't you?"

With a nod, Cairo began to think back to the trip to Ireland. It was the first time Cairo had ever been to Ireland, and he was so grateful for Fionn for giving him the opportunity to come along with him back home. The terrain was so much different than what Cairo was used to. Since Fionn's parents lived a bit away from the city, there wasn't much around except for loads of green grass. The O'Connells resided in a beautiful farmhouse, and Cairo had never experienced farmhouse life before. There were cows grazing the pastures and chickens clucking about. At the time Cairo visited, there were baby goats bleating and following after their mothers, and little piglets squealing.

Fionn's father, Jack O'Connell, was kind enough to introduce Cairo to farm life. The man showed Cairo the ropes and it was like Cairo fell in love instantly. He helped milk the cows, and collect the daily eggs that the hens produced. He kept the baby goats and piglets entertained whenever the adult goats and pigs were needed for check-ins. It was rewarding for Cairo to see how things were ran on the O'Connell's farm. All of the animals were treated with care, and none of them were killed for their meat. The cows were milked with respect and the chickens didn't seem to mind when the O'Connells took some of their eggs. It was like everyone was on the same page on the farm, and that was something Cairo really admired.

Alaina O'Connell, Fionn's mother, treated Cairo to all of her favorite food dishes. Cairo had never experienced food that tasted quite like Mrs. Alaina's. She made Irish stew, boxty, and shepherd's pie all in one day. Cairo remembered his reaction at seeing the enormous breakfast she was serving on the second day of his stay. It went by the name of a full Irish, and it lived up to its name. Cairo usually ate cereal or off-brand frozen waffles for breakfast, so seeing a plate topped with bacon, sausage, baked beans, eggs, grilled tomatoes, and potatoes was a bit intimidating. He loved it though, he couldn't finish it all, but he absolutely enjoyed every last bit that he managed to eat. Jack taught Cairo how the farm worked, and Alaina taught Cairo how to make desserts. The two made soda bread, apple cake with custard sauce, and shortbread. Cairo had so many leftovers packed in his suitcase on the trip back home.

"I had a really good time," Cairo hummed thoughtfully. "I would love to go back".

"We'll have to start planning for a trip then".

"Maybe I can teach your mom how to cook something this time".

Fionn laughed, "she'd enjoy that, I'm sure".

By the time the two men arrived at the restaurant, it was already quite busy. Even though the food didn't live up to the real Irish cuisine, nobody else knew that but Fionn and Cairo. The Irish stew and shepherd's pie wasn't the best that either of them had, but it did its job of fulfilling their hunger. To wash down the food, Fionn bought pints and even though Cairo wasn't that fond of beer, he still drank the alcohol anyway.

"I think I want another," Cairo hummed, shuffling his feet beneath the table he was sitting at. He eyed the empty glass in front of him, "do you want another?"

Cairo motioned to the bar and Fionn nodded, "I'm always up for another pint".

With a smile, Cairo stood up from his chair and began walking to the bar before Fionn could even think about pulling out his wallet. Cairo could buy the drinks this time. Fionn was already paying for the food and the first round of pints.

"Could I get two more Guinnesses?" Cairo asked once he was at the bar and the bartender had asked him what he wanted.

"I wouldn't have taken you for a beer kind of guy".

Turning his head, Cairo looked to see who had spoken. The man's heart skipped a beat at who he saw.

"Oh, no, it's not my favorite, but I'm just trying to stick with the Irish theme, you know?"

Dimitri smiled, "yeah, sure, I get it".

"Do you like, uh, beer?" Cairo asked curiously as he scratched nervously at his arm.

"Yeah, it tastes good to me".

"Cool, that's cool," Cairo coughed. "That you like beer, that's pretty cool".

Dimitri smiled at Cairo's awkwardness. He didn't know much of anything about the other man, but it was easy for him to tell that Cairo was a bit socially awkward.

"What're you doing here?"

"I was just grabbing a bite to eat, I got off an hour ago and this was the closest restaurant that had good food so," Dimitri answered with a simple shrug of his shoulders.

With a giggle, Cairo peered at Dimitri. "You think the food here is good? Have you tried actual food from Ireland before? If not, you should. It'll make you change your mind about the food here".

"Oh, yeah?" With a raised eyebrow, Dimitri spoke again, "where am I going to get my hands on some real Irish food?"

"I have some, Fionn's mom always cooks so much whenever he goes to visit her and his dad back in Ireland. They pack him leftovers and then we freeze it..."

Cairo trailed off and wondered if Dimitri was going to realize that he basically implied that he could get Irish food from him. It wasn't Cairo's intention to offer, but he kind of got excited to answer Dimitri's inquiry about real Irish cuisine.

"If you guys have Irish food already, then why'd you come here?"

"It's nice to eat out sometimes".

"You know it's not really safe to invite people back to your place, right? All I know is your name".

Cairo shrugged sheepishly, "you're a police officer, if you're a good one then you won't abuse your power".

"You've got a point, and I am, by the way, a good one".

With a smile and a small nod, Cairo replied, "that's good". He eyed the two beers that had been sitting on the bar top since the two started talking. "I should get Fionn's beer to him".

"Yeah, they taste better when cold," Dimitri said.

He watched Cairo pick up both of the beers, and when Cairo turned to walk away, he decided that biting his tongue and keeping quiet wouldn't work out in his favor.

"If I wanted to actually try some nice Irish food, how would I get into contact with you?"

With wide eyes, Cairo looked at Dimitri, "you could text me".

"Okay".

"Okay".

"Could I get your number then?"

"Oh!" Cairo exclaimed, "oh, yeah! Sure! I'm sorry, I'm such an idiot!"

Laughing, Dimitri pulled out his phone and added Cairo's number to his contact list as the other man rattled it off. He waved him goodbye and watched as he made his way back to where he was sitting.

"Fionn," Cairo said once he arrived back to the table.

"What's the matter? Why do you sound distressed?" Fionn quirked an eyebrow and sat up straight. "No one bothered you, did they?"

"No, but I ran into Dimitri again," Cairo groaned, "and I made a fool out of myself. This town isn't small, why do I keep bumping into him?"

"Well I can't answer that question, but I do have one for you. How did you make a fool out of yourself?"

"I invited him over to try some of your mom's food... And he said he needed my number to do that and I said okay, and I never actually gave it to him until he prompted me again. It was just an all around awkward experience, Fionn".

"You invited him to the apartment?"

"Yes".

"On purpose?"

"Yes... Well, kind of".

"Do you regret it?"

"Not really?"

"Well you don't sound so sure, mate," Fionn joked.

"I don't know, I was just talking because I was nervous and I couldn't like... I couldn't shut up. I think he's cute, but I didn't think I'd end up inviting him to the apartment!"

"It'll be fine," Fionn reassured, "and if you want, I can leave the apartment while he's over".

"No, don't do that. I want you there".

"What if he tries to put the moves on you?"

"Please, never ask me that question again. He won't anyway, I won't let him. I don't know anything about him at all, Fionn". Cairo took a chance and glanced around the pub, but he couldn't see Dimitri at first glance. "I'm already inviting him into our apartment, I shouldn't be alone with him at all. It doesn't matter if he's a police officer or not, it's dangerous to be alone with someone you don't know".

Fionn nodded his head, "I agree, do you know what you're going to wear?"

"Uh... Clothes?"

"Well of course you're going to wear clothes! I mean, like, are you going to dress up or what?"

Cairo took a sip of his beer and looked at Fionn quizzically, "why would I dress up? He's coming over to try Irish food, Fionn. It's not a fancy dinner date".

"You've got to make a good first impression, Cairo!" Fionn exclaimed. "This could be your future husband".

"Fionn O'Connell," Cairo gasped, "shut the fuck up".

With an amused smile, Fionn cocked his head to the side. "I'm just saying, first impressions matter".

"I've already solidified my first impression. The first time we met he saw me drunk off of my ass, so..."

"Oh, yeah," Fionn said with a small laugh, "I almost forgot about that. Well I guess it doesn't really matter how you dress then. Do you think he has a friend that he could introduce me to?"

"I... Maybe? I'm sure he has friends, he seems like the type to have friends".

Fionn looked at his friend and smiled, he picked up his beer and held it out to Cairo.

"D'you wanna cheers?"

Picking up his beer too, Cairo nodded in agreement.

"To what?"

"Whatever you want".

Cairo scrunched up his face in thought and Fionn watched him. The Irish man's eyes flickered around the pub and took notice of Dimitri sitting at a table on his own. The man was sipping his own beer and admiring Cairo from afar. Fionn caught his eye and the two shared a friendly head nod.

"How about to Dimitri?" Fionn suggested casually, looking at Cairo again.

The younger man turned his head down to face the table so Fionn couldn't see the blush that was coating his cheeks. He picked up his glass of beer and cleared his throat.

"Okay," Cairo clinked his glass against Fionn's, "to Dimitri".


	4. Chapter Four

Dimitri hadn't felt this excited in a long time. It'd been a while since he had gotten someone's number. He'd been out of the dating scene for a while now, and it wasn't because he was taken. Dimitri was single, but he hadn't been seeking a relationship. His job had been his main focus for the past few years, and it had always taken up most of his time. Plus, when Dimitri had found someone that he had interest in, his job acted as a set back. 

Some people just weren't open to dating someone in the police force. It was either because the job was too dangerous and they didn't want to deal with Dimitri potentially getting hurt or they felt like they were betraying the people around them for dating someone who was apart of a team of people who had a bad relationship with the city. Cairo didn't seem to care that Dimitri was a police officer though which was quite reassuring.

It'd been a solid week since Dimitri spoke to Cairo at the Irish pub. He wasn't expecting to see the other man there, and he was a bit worried that Cairo would think Dimitri was beginning to stalk him. That wasn't what Dimitri was doing at all, though he could see how it could look that way. The man wasn't sure why he kept bumping into Cairo at the most random of places, but he was secretly glad it was starting to become a common occurrence. Even though their conversation in the pub was short, Dimitri didn't think he would leave the pub with a new number in his phone. He definitely didn't think the new number would belong to Cairo.

Dimitri hadn't given him a text yet. The past week had been busy for him. The last seven days consisted of giving multiple tickets and Dimitri always came home feeling like shit because he hated giving tickets. Giving people tickets didn't help his relationship with the people in the city, but at the same Dimitri had to do his job. He tried his hardest to let people off with warnings, but sometimes that just couldn't be done. Not only did he give out multiple tickets, but there was a murder that had taken place seven days ago and it'd been hectic around the office. Dimitri had been put in charge of contacting the victim's family to inform them of what happened to their loved one.

It was hard. Having to show up at someone's house to deliver bad news. People just seem to know that something is wrong when they open their door to find a police officer, or two, on their doorstep. Watching the way their eyes expressed the fearful and distraught emotions they were feeling before their facial features could was something Dimitri was never going to get used to seeing. He hated being the bearer of bad news.

The victim was a nineteen year old Black male. He had been found in a side alley with knife wounds to the abdomen. Dimitri didn't know why exactly the young adult had been targeted. He wasn't sure if the murderer knew him, or if he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Dimitri was told the nineteen year old had fought hard to get away, but it just wasn't enough. There wasn't any helpful evidence to lead them to whoever did the murder, but the police department wasn't giving up just yet. The case had just been opened, the search for the killer was just beginning.

The city had dealt with murders before, so Dimitri wasn't very surprised with the occurrence of another. Dealing with murders meant collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, if there were any, gathering suspects and making arrests, and hopefully getting the right suspect into court so some sort of justice could be served. It could sometimes be a long process, Dimitri knew the police detectives oftentimes stayed late at the office to get things done. Even though he wasn't out searching for the murderer, he was still exhausted.

A break was needed, and that's why Dimitri was currently working up the nerve to finally get in contact with Cairo. The last time the man had been nervous to text someone, he was a sophomore in high school. Cairo was nothing to be nervous about, yet Dimitri just found that he couldn't help it. His thumb moved quickly across the screen of his cellphone as he typed out a text message to Cairo.

Hey, I know it's pretty short notice, but I was thinking about what you said when we bumped into each other at the bar. Could I come over to try some Irish food?

Dimitri figured Cairo must've already been on his phone because it took less then a second for the ellipses bubble to pop up on the screen after Dimitri had sent his text message. He watched as the bubble disappeared, then reappeared, and then disappeared again. The man smiled a bit and wondered how bad Cairo must've been freaking out if he kept typing and deleting whatever he was preparing to say. Finally a text came through and Dimitri wasn't really expecting anything in particular, but the text he received was so blatantly Cairo and he barely knew anything about the other man.

Like right now? Sure! Me and Fionn are baking cookies. Do you like cookies?

Dimitri replied with a message saying that it depended on the type of cookie, but he generally did like them, yes. He also made sure to tack on the question of asking Cairo for his address because he knew he wasn't going to get it from him if he didn't ask. It was the end of his shift, so after Dimitri clocked out and parked his patrol car in it's assigned parking spot, he got into his own personal car and began the drive across town to Cairo and Fionn's apartment.

Dimitri's patrolled on Cairo and Fionn's side of town plenty of times. It was a pretty quiet part of town and nothing too out of the ordinary really took place there. A couple of noise complaints here and there, but nothing to be overly concerned about. He'd never been called to the apartment buildings before, so when he arrived it was the first time he'd encountered them. Cairo was kind enough to include his apartment building and number in his text, so it was easy for Dimitri to find the residence.

It was when Dimitri knocked on the door that he wondered if he should've stopped by the store and bought something as a way to say 'thank you for inviting me into your home'. He didn't have time to contemplate too long because the door opened seconds later and Cairo was standing in front him. The first thing Dimitri noticed was the white substance on Cairo's face. 

It looked oddly similar to cocaine, but Dimitri wasn't dumb enough to think Cairo would snort a line of cocaine before inviting a police officer over. The second thing Dimitri noticed was the apron he was wearing. It was red and had white script on it that read 'kiss the chef'. The third thing Dimitri noticed was the way he was being looked at with both curious and apprehensive eyes. Dimitri blinked and briefly wondered if he'd been staring for too long.

"Hi, you have something on your face," Dimitri spoke. He cocked his head to the side and gave a teasing smile. "It looks oddly similar to cocaine".

"I don't do drugs!" Cairo rushed to get out, wiping his face with his hands. "It's got to be flour, I swear".

With a laugh, Dimitri made a motion of him entering the apartment. Cairo stepped to the side and allowed him in. "I was only joking, don't worry".

"We're a drug free household," Cairo nodded, wringing his hands together out of nervousness. 

From the kitchen, Fionn snorted out a laugh. The redhead was leaning against the kitchen counter with a bottle of beer in his hand. He looked at the two other men and gave a crooked smile. "We're law abiding citizens and all that jazz".

Dimitri admired the apartment from where he stood. It wasn't the nicest he'd ever seen, but it wasn't terrible either. It honestly gave off a very comfy and cozy vibe. The living room housed a couch and a recliner, and a television that rested on a small table. The kitchen connected to the living room. It was your standard kitchen, there was counter space, a microwave, and oven and stove. The sink was empty of dishes and the cabinets weren't dusty. That was all Dimitri could make of the apartment. There were two hallways, one on either side of the apartment. He figured they lead to two separate bedrooms and their bathrooms.

"Exactly," Cairo agreed with Fionn's statement and it brought Dimitri back to the present.

"That's good to hear," Dimitri nodded his head. He looked to Fionn and took the opportunity to greet him, "hey, it's alright that I'm here, yeah?"

"Oh, of course, mate," Fionn waved him off. "No worries, any friend of Cairo's is a friend of mine".

With a grin on his face, Dimitri looked towards the kitchen. He could smell the cookies that he could see stacked on a plate, but he could also smell something else too. He couldn't see what it belonged to; however, he was sure it tasted good.

"The food is in the oven, I popped it in when you texted me. We, um... Fionn and I, we made chocolate chip cookies. They're to celebrate".

"What are we celebrating?"

Fionn smiled brightly, "Cairo got the job that he applied for".

"Yeah?" When Dimitri turned to look at the aforementioned man, Cairo was blushing. He swayed on his feet and pressed the palms of his hands together. "Congratulations, do you mind me asking what job it is?"

"I work at the pet store on Conway".

"Conway?" Dimitri could see in his head the street Cairo was talking about. "That's a nice area".

"Yeah! It is, I started a week ago and the people who come in are always really nice".

A nod was given by Dimitri, along with a smile, "that's good, congrats again".

"Thank you".

Cairo was nervous, and one of the things he did when he was nervous was constantly move. He was first shifting his weight from foot to foot when Dimitri had first walked into the apartment, and now he was wringing his hands together. It hadn't even been a full thirty minutes of Dimitri being in the same vicinity of him and Cairo was already working himself up. He just didn't want to make any sort of mistake with Dimitri around. Fionn had long since grown used to Cairo's mannerisms, so he was fully aware of how pent up with nerves he was. He wanted to tease him for being so nervous, but he knew it would only make things worse for his friend, and that was the last thing Fionn wanted to do. He never wanted to be responsible for Cairo being distressed.

"The food should almost be done warming up," Fionn mentioned offhandedly. "In the meantime, how about we get to know each other, yeah? We only really know your name and profession, mate".

Cairo watched Dimitri nod his head in agreement as he seemed to be looking for an acceptable place to sit. Fionn took the opportunity to raise his beer glass so Cairo would notice him while Dimitri's attention wasn't focused on either of them.

"Offer him a beer," Fionn mouthed.

Cairo looked like he wanted to groan. "Do you want a, uh... Do you want a beer to drink? Or something else? We have water too, and fruit punch".

"Water's fine, thank you," Dimitri moved across the room and sat down on the couch. "So what do you want to know?"

"How long have you been a police officer?" Cairo asked curiously. He glanced over his shoulder to spare Dimitri a glance before beginning to make him a glass of water.

"I'm in my third year now, I became one officially when I was twenty-three, I'm twenty-six now".

"You're twenty-six?" Fionn whistled, "you don't look it, I would've guessed twenty-three".

Dimitri smiled and watched Cairo cross the room to give him his glass of water. "Thank you" he spoke, speaking to Cairo first, then to Fionn. "I'm trying to enjoy it while I can, eventually I'll get to the point where my age is pretty evident".

"People always say Fionn looks older than he does, he's twenty-three himself, but he usually gets that he looks twenty-seven".

"Can you believe it? Twenty-seven," Fionn scoffed in disbelief.

"You definitely don't look twenty-seven," Dimitri shook his head before gracing Cairo with an interested look, "how old are you?"

"Twenty-two".

That's around the age that Dimitri was guessing. He knew Cairo was old enough to drink, but he didn't know what exactly his age was. Cairo didn't give off the vibe that he was older than Dimitri, and quite frankly, he didn't look it at all. Cairo still had a bit of a baby face, and it made sense because he was still really in the prime of his life.

"You look twenty-two, if I didn't already know that you're old enough to drink, I probably would've originally guessed nineteen".

"I get that a lot," Cairo nodded his head. 

He returned to the kitchen and checked the food in the oven. It'd been in there for a good while, so he was sure it was proper warm now. Cairo got everything together by taking the various types of food out of the oven and plating them on three different plates. He gave Dimitri his plate first, then Fionn's, and then he took his own and joined them in the living room. He sent a pointed glare Fionn's way because he knew his friend purposefully sat in the recliner so the only space left to sit was beside Dimitri on the couch.

"This is shepherd's pie, corned beef, and soda bread," Cairo explained. "Fionn's mom cooked it all. I hope you like it, she's a really good cook".

Cairo was pretty sure he was going to have an anxiety attack. It'd been years since he'd had one, but Dimitri was literally going to change that in the next five minutes. If he didn't like the food then Cairo had no idea how he was going to handle the situation. The twenty-two year old was thinking a mile a minute and now instead of wringing his hands, he was tapping his foot.

"This is really good".

"Oh, thank you, God," Cairo whispered, he looked at Dimitri and hoped the smile he was giving him was doing a good job at covering his current nervous state. It wasn't, but Dimitri wasn't going to tell Cairo that. "Better than the pub, right?"

"Definitely, thanks for inviting me to try it".

"You're welcome, any time".

Fionn smiled, but he didn't say anything. Watching Cairo talk to people was always an interesting experience. He kind of tended to embarrass himself whenever he spoke to people for more than ten minutes. It was nice though, watching Cairo speak to Dimitri now. Fionn could tell Cairo was nervous as hell, but he could also tell that Cairo was trying his absolute best. Fionn kind of wanted to leave so the two men sitting on the couch could have time alone, but he wasn't going to do that. Cairo didn't want him to leave, so he wasn't going to leave.

"You were born in Ireland?" Dimitri asked curiously.

"I was, I came to the states for college and I liked it so much that I decided to stay".

"That's nice, I've been in this state all my life, born and raised. What about you, Cairo?"

"Oh, um... I moved here, like... I think it's been three or four years, I can't really remember. Has being raised here in the city influenced you becoming an officer?"

"Oh, yeah, it definitely has," Dimitri answered. "I hated the dynamic between the citizens and police officers that I kind of wanted to do something about it. Plus, being a police officer has sort of always appealed to me. I like the job most of the time".

"Most of the time?"

"It can be hard sometimes. There's a lot of stuff that I don't like to do".

"Like... Like killing people? Have you ever had to do that?"

Dimitri didn't mean to, but he hesitated at answering the question. Cairo noticed and shook his head quickly. The last thing he wanted to do was make Dimitri uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that. It was very inappropriate of me to ask".

"It's fine," Dimitri reassured, "I just try not to think about it too much. I have killed people before, twice. I'd rather it be none, of course, but I was put in situations where my life was on the life and I wasn't going to give it up".

Watching people die was hard for Dimitri, but being the reason why someone died was even harder. He'd only had to be the reason two times, which was two times too many for him. Both cases were investigated thoroughly by his police captain and he passed both lie detector tests without a problem. He regretted having to the pull trigger of his gun and shooting two people in two different situations. Dimitri opening fire was deemed necessary in both cases though and he wasn't charged for manslaughter.

"I don't blame you, mate, honestly," Fionn stated, "with a job like yours, I'm sure you're put in a lot of stressful situations. The city's pretty dangerous at times. Cairo and I heard about that guy getting murdered on the other side of town. Nineteen years old, can you believe it?"

"I can't," Dimitri answered truthfully. "I can't say much of anything to either of you, but my department is working on it. We're hoping to get whoever did it behind bars as soon as possible".

Cairo placed his plate on the coffee table before pulling his knees up to his chest. "That's good, whoever killed that poor guy should be put away".

The atmosphere in the room had shifted to one more solemn, and Dimitri had noticed. Cairo was looking off into space, as if he were in deep thought. His lips were turned down in a frown and he didn't look very happy at all. Dimitri didn't like the look on him.

"Can I have a cookie?" He asked.

Cairo looked at him before seeming to remember that, oh, yeah, there were fresh cooled, chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen. Cairo answered with a simple 'sure' before getting up. He collected all three empty plates and walked to the kitchen. Dimitri got up as well and followed behind him. Fionn decided to stay where he was seated in the recliner as he had no plans to interrupt whatever was happening between the two men.

"You don't have to worry, you know?" Dimitri asked quietly as he stood beside Cairo. Their bodies were only about half a foot apart, their backs facing Fionn. "The department has found murderers before, this won't be any different".

"I know, but it's still kind of scary".

"It is," Dimitri agreed, he wasn't going to downplay Cairo's emotions. It was scary to know that there was a murderer amongst their city. "The police detectives on the case are doing their job the best they can. They'll keep you and everyone else safe".

"Will you?"

"Will I what?"

"Keep me safe".

Dimitri smiled a bit, "of course".

"Okay," Cairo nodded his head a little in content, "that makes me feel better".


	5. Chapter Five

"Good morning, everyone," Cairo greeted as he began to turn on the overhead lights of the pet store. "I hope you all slept well".

The pet store on Conway was of a better quality than the one Cairo used to work at. The general area of Conway had gone through a period of gentrification, so all of the stores within the area had been remodeled. The store building was large enough for each species of animals to have more than their fair share of room. An entire corner was designated to the cats, and Cairo was blown away the first time he saw it. He had dubbed the corner the 'cat corner' because it was truly made just for them. There were glass walls that were connected to the two walls that made the corner. It was designed to be a small room that the cats had free reign over. There was enough room for the store floor to house rabbits, guinea pigs, fish, birds, and reptiles. There were multiple shelves that held animal supplies for all of the species.

"Hello, Mabel," Cairo cooed softly, he had made his way to the cat corner after taking the time to grab the cat food from the employee supply room. Cairo was the first to make it to the pet store for the morning shift, so it was his responsibility to get breakfast going for all of the animals before the store officially opened in another hour. "How are you this morning, Mabel?"

Mabel was an orange tabby cat. She was on the older side at ten years old. She was a very mellow cat, and oftentimes she could be found lounging in her cat bed. She didn't do much but sleep and watch the kittens play. She never joined in because she was older and her playful phase had left her. Cairo had taken a liking to her immediately. She made the man a bit sad because he knew that she most likely wasn't going to be adopted any time soon. People who came to pet stores were usually looking for babies so they can spend as much time with them as possible. Mabel wasn't young enough to appeal to anyone. She appealed to Cairo; however, and that was all that really mattered.

Mabel stood up from her bed and stretched when she took notice of Cairo. She mewed and crossed the room, and when she was close enough, she rubbed herself against his legs. The two only had a few seconds to greet one another before the kittens came to investigate what was going on.

"Hello, hello," Cairo greeted, dishing out pets to all of the animals. 

After the greetings were over, he filled up the food bowls in the room and changed out the old water in the water bowls for fresh water instead. Cairo let Mabel out of the cat corner and let her wander the floor of the pet store as he tended to the other animals. By the time Cairo was done feeding the animals, it was almost time for the store to open. His coworker, Olivia, arrived to the store fifteen minutes before they were set to open.

Cairo smiled timidly when he unlocked the door to let her in. The two hadn't known each other for very long due to Cairo still being new to the job. They wouldn't consider each other friends. Even though Olivia didn't know too much about Cairo, she could tell he was quite peculiar.

"Hi, Cairo, good morning," Olivia greeted with a smile, her blue eyes peered up at him.

"Hi, Olivia".

Olivia Johnson was eighteen years old and fresh out of high school. She was White and had blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that made Cairo uncomfortable if he looked at them too long. If you asked Cairo, he would tell you that Olivia intimidated him. Physically Olivia wouldn't be able to do much of anything to Cairo. The man towered over her due to his five foot ten stature while she was only five foot two. It was Olivia's personality that caused Cairo to feel intimidated. The young woman was quite comfortable with herself and expressed herself freely. She exuded confidence and challenged any customer who tried to haggle prices. Being around someone who expressed such a dominant presence like she did made Cairo uneasy.

"Have you tended to all of the animals already?"

"Yes, they've all been fed".

"Good, is there anything else I can do other than getting the computer systems up and running?"

Cairo shook his head and picked up Mabel from where she was standing beside him. He held her close to his chest and hummed softly. He smiled when he could both feel and hear her purr lowly.

"You two lovebirds need to get a room" Olivia joked, giggling. She walked behind the counter and turned on the computer system. "I feel like I'm imposing".

"Sorry," Cairo apologized. He looked at Olivia and frowned, wondering if maybe she was being serious. He didn't want to annoy her, he hadn't even been working at the shop for more than two weeks. Olivia wasn't Cairo's only coworker, but the others who worked there didn't quite intimidate him like she did. She was the one he had to impress the most because them getting along really mattered to him.

"Cairo," Olivia sighed, glancing at him, "I'm joking".

"Oh," he breathed, "okay".

"You need to learn how to relax. Do you have anxiety or something?"

"Well, I have had an anxiety attack before... But I haven't been diagnosed".

"I'm not surprised".

Cairo didn't quite know how to respond to Olivia's statement, so he didn't. He just held Mabel closer and wondered if he had ruined his chances with getting to be Olivia's friend.

"Have you always been this way?"

Cairo shrugged his shoulders, "I guess".

"That's disappointing".

"I'm going to go unlock the door and flip the sign over," Cairo mumbled, he walked to the front door and did what he said he would. Once the door was unlocked and the open/close sign was flipped the right way, Cairo took the time to peer outside. "Am I that bad, Mabel?"

As long as Cairo could remember, he had always been a bit different. Making friends was a hard obstacle for him and once he had friends, keeping them was even harder. During his time in elementary school, Cairo was able to count on one hand how many friends he actually had. It started with five and as the years went on, it dwindled down to three. Middle school was the same, it was hard for Cairo to find where he fit in. He was just too awkward for any of the different cliques that had naturally formed. Cairo only had three friends in middle school, and when he entered into high school, Cairo had none.

His middle and high school years consisted of struggling to find his place and for the years that he was there, he failed to find it at all. The only thing Cairo gained from school was an education and the trauma of being bullied. He didn't learn how to communicate with others, he didn't learn what it was like to be in a club, and he didn't learn how to express himself in a constructive way. All Cairo learned that didn't pertain to education was how to avoid looking people in the eye because if you did then it made you an easier target.

The kids in middle and high school treated Cairo so much different than the way he was treated in elementary school. He was simply avoided during first grade through fifth grade. People interacted with him when they had to, but if they didn't, then they wouldn't. They'd talk about Cairo behind his back and ask one another what the other thought about him. Their questions ranged from 'do you know why he's so weird?' to 'how could anyone want to be his friend?' Cairo was pushed around by guys who were higher up on the popularity scale than him. They treated him poorly, but they did it discreetly so administration wouldn't catch on.

College had been better, so much better. For the short time he was there, no one minded Cairo. The college atmosphere was so different compared to the atmosphere of Cairo's earlier school years. People in college didn't mind when Cairo was around. He still didn't have many friends, Fionn was his only close one, but people still spoke to him whenever he showed up to class. They included him and invited him to study groups and little parties. It pained Cairo immensely when he realized that he wasn't going to be able to afford to return for another year of schooling. Cairo had finally found a place where he felt like he kind of belonged, but he just didn't have the money to stay.

"Cairo, come help me clean the guinea pigs bedding," Olivia ordered. She was already standing by the large cage that housed three guinea pigs. "Keep Mabel away, she might attack the pigs".

Moving from the door, Cairo carried Mabel back to the cat corner. "I know you wouldn't attack the piggies, but I have to put you back in here because Olivia said so".

Olivia was already scooping out the old bedding into a trash bag when Cairo joined her. She spared him a quick glance before handing him the trash bag to hold. He held it for her and watched the three guinea pigs avoid her gloved hands every time she reached in to pick up the dirty bedding.

"I think Pepper has gotten bigger," Cairo noted, "she didn't look that big last week, did she?"

Olivia simply shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know".

Cleaning the cage with Olivia felt like it lasted a lifetime. Cairo tried to make small talk with her, but his attempts were only met with short replies lacking interest. After a while, he decided to cease his attempts and just stood quietly while Olivia did most of the work. Once the bedding was replaced, Olivia returned to the front desk and Cairo stayed where he was.

"How are you ladies?" He asked quietly, reaching down to touch the three guinea pigs. "You've got new bedding now, I bet you're happy".

It was around one in the afternoon when customers really began to come in. The mornings were always slow because most people had their own jobs to go to. The evenings got much more foot traffic because that's when people were getting off of work and were able to come by to buy the necessities that they needed. Cairo always found it nice when people brought their animals in with them. So far today, he'd seen two cats, one dog, and a hedgehog. The hedgehog was quite a surprise and it was something Cairo never thought he actually needed to see in person until today. The owner even let Cairo hold her, which the man was very grateful for because it was an experience he wouldn't forget.

Cairo was just preparing to take his lunch break when someone new walked into the store. He figured he would wait until the person left to take his lunch because even though Olivia wasn't very fond of him, Cairo didn't want to leave her alone. From where he was straightening out the dog food packages, he could hear her greeting the new customer.

"Hello, officer, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Actually, there is. I know someone who works here, is Cairo working today?"

"You want to see Cairo? Why?"

"Just wanted to say hello".

"To Cairo?"

"That's the name I said, isn't it?"

It was silent for a moment before Olivia spoke, "he's in the dog food aisle".

"Thank you".

Cairo didn't know if he should meet Dimitri half way or stay put where he was. He decided on the latter and continued to straighten out the dog food packages, except he did it a little more nervously now. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see someone had appeared at the end of the aisle. Slowly, Cairo turned his head and smiled at Dimitri. The man was in his police uniform and he looked nice. Cairo was too drunk to remember the first time he'd seen Dimitri in his uniform and the second time he'd seen Dimitri, Cairo was too nervous to really look at him for too long. Now though, now was the time for Cairo to admire.

Dimitri looked good. The uniform he was wearing was a dark blue color. The short sleeved shirt fit nicely and so did the pants. A shiny badge was pinned to the left chest section of his shirt, and his duty belt was fastened around his waist. Cairo's eyes looked over all of the things he was carrying. From what he could see, there was a pair of handcuffs, a flashlight, a police radio, pepper spray, a taser on his left hip, and a gun on the right. Cairo gave Dimitri another once over and wondered if it was just him who suddenly felt so hot. Admittedly, Cairo kind of had a thing for uniforms, and seeing Dimitri in his was causing Cairo to feel a bit bothered. Cairo cleared his throat softly and awkwardly hoped his semi wasn't able to be seen against his khakis.

"Hi, what're you doing here?"

With a light shrug, Dimitri replied, "I was just in the neighborhood, and I remember you saying you worked here. I decided to come by on my break to see if you were working today".

"I am," Cairo nodded, "working today, yeah. I was actually about to take my break before you walked in".

"Really? Do you want to get something to eat from one of the places that's around?"

"Sure, that sounds nice".

Cairo walked with Dimitri back to the front of the store. Olivia's blue eyes looked over the two in curiosity.

"I'm going on break now, we're going to get something to eat. Would you like me to get you something?"

Olivia narrowed her eyes in suspicion, she couldn't quite figure out why on earth Dimitri would be grabbing lunch with Cairo.

"No, thanks," she muttered dismissively. "Just be back on time, I don't want to take my break later because of you".

"Yeah, okay..." Cairo fiddled with his thumbs, "sure thing".

Dimitri frowned at the exchange between the two. He walked out of the building without speaking, but once he and Cairo were a ways away he decided to say something.

"Does she always speak to you like that?"

"Olivia?" Cairo asked, he continued to speak when Dimitri nodded his head, "talk to me like how?"

"Rudely".

Dimitri watched Cairo hesitate to answer the question. It was quite simple. He just wanted to know if Olivia spoke to him like he was less than. Dimitri was already sure what the answer was, but he wanted to see if Cairo was going to make up an excuse for her or not. He wasn't very surprised with what Cairo came up with.

"No... Not really, I think she's just having a bad day today, you know?"

"Well I have bad days, but I don't treat others like shit".

Cairo wasn't sure how he wanted to respond to Dimitri's statement, so he didn't. Dimitri didn't press him to answer either, so the two walked down the sidewalk until they found a place they were both fine with getting food from. They settled for a deli that had a walk up take-out window for those who were in a rush and didn't have time to sit and eat. Both men were standing and waiting for the sandwiches they'd ordered when Cairo shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm used to it..."

Dimitri was confused as to what Cairo was talking about, "used to what?"

"Being spoken to the way Olivia speaks to me".

Dimitri moved his arms behind his back because he was afraid that if he didn't then he would reach out and wrap them around Cairo and hug him. What he said to him had to be one of the most disappointing things Dimitri had ever heard, and being a police officer, Dimitri heard a lot of disappointing things.

"You shouldn't be used to something like that".

"I know, but that's really what my entire school years have consisted of".

"Have they? I'm sorry".

"It's not your fault that I was bullied," Cairo shrugged his shoulders, "so no need to apologize".

"I know, but I'm sorry that's something you had to experience at all. No one should experience bullying at school," Dimitri shook his head, "or at work. The way Olivia speaks to you isn't right".

Dimitri wanted to say more, but he decided against it. He could already tell from Cairo's body language that he was slightly uncomfortable about the topic being broached. Dimitri didn't want to cause Cairo any discomfort, and he wasn't going to; however, the topic was something he felt strongly on. Dimitri figured it was going to have to be revisited later on as he picked up their sandwiches from the take-out window and they began their walk back to the pet store. The sandwiches were wrapped neatly, so the two ate on the way back.

"How's your day been so far?" Cairo asked, glancing at the older man beside him.

"It's been pretty good, I haven't had to arrest anyone yet".

"That's good, I don't know how much you're allowed to say, but um... Has your department found out anything new about the murder case?"

Sighing in disappointment, Dimitri shook his head, "not yet. I'm really hoping a lead of some sort with develop soon. It makes me nervous when days pass and nothing new has come up yet. I don't want this murder to become another cold case that can't be solved".

"Me neither, that would be really sad for the family".

"It would be, how has your day been?"

"It's been okay, it's just been me and Olivia, and the animals today. A few customers came in, but not many. Oh, do you like cats? There's this cat, she's the absolute sweetest. Her name's Mabel. She's a senior cat, she's ten. You've got to meet her before you get back to work. Do you want to meet her?"

"Of course, I'd love to. I had two cats when I was younger, they've both passed away years ago".

"I'm sorry to hear that".

"It's okay, I've grieved. What type of cat is Mabel?"

"She's an orange tabby. What type were your cats?"

"They were both calico cats".

Cairo hummed, "we've got two calico kittens right now, they're the sweetest".

They'd made it back to the pet store and had finished their sandwiches along the way. They tossed their sandwich wrappers in a near by trashcan before entering the store. Cairo took a quick glance around and learned that Olivia was the only one inside.

"Hi Olivia, I'm back," Cairo announced, he walked up to the counter and placed a wrapped sugar cookie on the counter. "I bought you a cookie from the deli down the road. I've seen you come in eating one a few times last week".

"I thought I told you not to get me anything," Olivia replied, her lips pressing together into a thin line.

"How about a thank you, yeah?" Dimitri suggested, trying his hardest not to glare at her. "That's what you say to people when they do something nice for you".

Olivia hesitated before huffing out a sigh, "thank you, Cairo. I'm going on my break now".

Dimitri had to be patient in order to work as an officer, but right now he felt like his patience was beginning to wear thin. This was only his second time interacting with Olivia and he was already over her attitude. He wondered how Cairo managed to handle it every time he spoke to her. Dimitri watched Olivia make her way to the front door, and he turned his head when he felt his hand in Cairo's. He let the younger man guide him to the corner that housed the cats. The two stepped into the cat room and Dimitri stood by and watched Cairo crouch down and approach the orange tabby cat that was resting in a cat bed.

"Hi, Mabel," Cairo cooed. He picked her up easily and carried her over to Dimitri. "This is Mabel, isn't she cute?"

"She is".

"I've only known her for like... Two weeks, but we've really connected with each other. Apparently she's been here for a long time, I don't think she'll get adopted out by anyone because she's a senior cat. If I could adopt her, I would. My apartment doesn't allow pets".

By the time Cairo had finished speaking, a smile had made its way onto Dimitri's face. Listening to Cairo speak was amusing, but listening to him speak about something he loved was even more so.

"That's too bad about your apartment, I bet Mabel wishes she could go home with you too. She seems to like you".

"I like to think so," Cairo nodded his head in agreement. He placed Mabel on the ground and watched her return to her bed so she could take her afternoon nap. "When is your break over?"

"In a few minutes actually, I should get back to my patrol car. I'm glad I came over to see if you were working today".

"Me too," Cairo agreed. "Oh, Fionn wanted me to ask you something".

"Okay".

"Do you have a friend you can introduce him to?"

Before Dimitri could even think about stopping it a laugh bubbled up from his chest.

"I think I might actually, it depends though".

"On?"

"Whether Fionn's straight or not".

"He isn't, he's bi".

"Well then I do have someone in mind, his name's Seven. He's a good friend of mine".

"Really? Fionn will be happy to hear".

"I'll mention Fionn to Seven and see if he's open to meeting him," Dimitri replied.

"Okay," Cairo smiled and walked Dimitri to the front door. "I guess I'll see you later?"

"You will, and when Olivia gets back, don't let her talk to you any way she wants, Cairo".

"Okay," Cairo repeated, nodding his head.

"Alright then," Dimitri pushed open the door and stepped outside. "I'll talk to you later".

"Okay," Cairo said for a third time. Dimitri noticed and smiled, he didn't say anything but he did turn and begin to walk back to his patrol car. Cairo watched him go, and when he couldn't see Dimitri anymore, he turned to look at the cat corner.

Mabel was sleeping, so Cairo didn't have anyone to talk to about how Dimitri made him feel. Cairo figured he'd just have to wait until he was home to talk to Fionn about it instead.


	6. Chapter Six

Seven Hernandez was a good friend of Dimitri's. The two had known each other since they were both born. Their mothers were friends in high school and their friendship continued on through college and the years that followed. The two woman had always known that if, or when, they both were to fall pregnant, they would make sure their children would grow up to be good friends. Good friends was an understatement. Dimitri and Seven considered each other brothers. The men had just about three decades of history, and it consisted of both good and bad memories.

The two could recall sticking by one another's side during their elementary years and making a pact that they were never going to date girls because girls were gross. Neither knew at the time that they probably should've extended their agreement to boys too. They made sure to sit together at lunch and compare their bagged lunches, trading their food with each other. Seven's mom always packed things Dimitri enjoyed eating while Dimitri's mom packed things Seven enjoyed. Elementary school was a pretty good experience for the two boys.

In middle school, they branched out and began to figure out what made them who they are. Dimitri joined sports clubs while Seven decided that he'd much rather immerse himself in reading and math. Seven was teased for being a Black boy who liked to read books and count numbers, and Dimitri was brushed off as just another Black boy who played football and basketball. Middle school was an adventure that consisted of trying to figure out their likes and dislikes all while trying to navigate the changes their bodies were going through.

Puberty was a world wind. Outgrowing clothes, developing body hair, trying to hide surprise erections, along with all of the other unpleasant aspects of puberty were things Dimitri and Seven had to experience. Developing crushes came too, and Seven was there for Dimitri when he went through his first real heartbreak. Whenever Dimitri looked back on his seventh grade year, he always rolls his eyes when he thought about how he truly believed him and Melissa from math class were going to get married.

High school was a rough four years. If you asked both Seven and Dimitri about which school years took a toll on their friendship, they'd both give the same answer. They'd had their biggest fight over why Seven began to distance himself tenth grade year, and why he was beginning to hang out around a bad crowd. Dimitri knew Seven like the back of his hand, and skipping school to drink stolen alcohol and smoke weed wasn't the friend he was used to.

It came to a head when Dimitri threatened to tell Seven's parents about his behavior after Seven came to Dimitri's house in the late hours of the night high off of Adderall. That night Seven broke down and confided in Dimitri that his parents were getting a divorce, and he didn't know how to deal with it properly. Seven couldn't handle the change, and the pain that came along with it. Dimitri remembered holding Seven close as he cried, telling Seven that he could've told him, only for Seven to respond that he just didn't know how.

At the time, Dimitri couldn't understand how Seven felt like he couldn't tell him anything, but it was the end of tenth grade when he finally did. By the end of tenth grade, Dimitri had come to terms with his feelings for guys. It was a feeling that began in eighth grade, one Dimitri hoped would go away by the time he entered high school, but it never did. It continued through ninth grade year, and he found himself too scared to mention it because he heard the way his classmates spoke. Being gay wasn't right, the locker room talk he dealt with helped to solidify it into his mind.

Dimitri was terrified to come out to Seven because he didn't know how his friend felt about the subject. Seven never laughed along with the other guys in the locker room about how being gay was downright gross or how they wouldn't hesitate to punch a guy who looked at them for too long. Then again, Seven was never one to join in on locker room talk to begin with. Dimitri couldn't read Seven, he had no idea how his friend would react if he told him about his affinity for males. Dimitri almost lost Seven once, and he refused to lose him again.

Dimitri remembered the day he finally came out to Seven, thinking about it always made him laugh and smile. Seven and Dimitri had decided to binge watch a television series at Dimitri's house, they were sitting on the living room couch. It was the eighth episode when Seven made an offhanded comment about the main male character being kind of hot. Dimitri's head had turned so fast to peer at his friend that he remembered the pain that came along with it. He also remembered the way he'd tentatively asked Seven 'you're gay?' only for Seven to respond with a shake of his head and respond 'no, pan'.

The feeling of relief he'd felt when Seven confessed his sexuality to him was something Dimitri figured would stick with him for the rest of his life. He was almost so relieved that he could cry, but he just uttered the words 'I'm gay' to Seven instead. Dimitri did actually start to cry when Seven just looked at him and smiled, nodding his head a little and responding with 'I know'.

Seven went on to explain that he had known for quite a while, but he hadn't said anything because he figured Dimitri would tell him when he was ready for him to know. It had been hard for Seven to wait for Dimitri to tell him, and he confessed that it hurt him with how long it took. Seven was disappointed that Dimitri thought he would drop him like a bad habit once he knew Dimitri liked boys.

High school was the most challenging four years for their friendship, but by the time graduation came around, their friendship was the strongest it had ever been. They celebrated receiving their diplomas by renting out a beach house with a few of their other friends, free from their parents. It was there where Dimitri teased Seven for losing his virginity after catching him failing to sneak out of his girlfriend's room, and it was also there that Seven didn't look at Dimitri like he was crazy when he confided in him that he planned to become a police officer.

"So you know the guy I've been telling you about for the last two weeks, almost month now?" Dimitri asked as he took a seat on Seven's couch.

Seven scoffed, turning to look at Dimitri from where he was standing in front of the floor to ceiling windows that showed off a beautiful view of the city. Seven lived in a high rise building that cost way too much money for the average working person to afford. The man had put his love for numbers to use; however, and was able to get a job as a financial manager. His job was to oversee the finances of different major companies. He worked with a team of people to produce financial reports, cash-flow statements, and profit projections. Being a financial manager was a fulfilling job for Seven. He was able to deal with numbers, which he quite enjoyed, and it paid him good money. The man was well off because of his job.

"Of course, I do," Seven replied, "you talked about Cairo yesterday".

"Right, well he has this friend..."

Seven rolled his brown eyes so hard the man briefly wondered if they would get stuck. "Don't start with me".

"Wait, wait," Dimitri laughed, pushing his long dreadlocks out of his face. "Just hear me out, okay? Cairo has this friend. His name's Fionn, he's Irish, super cool guy. He's bi, okay? And he asked Cairo to ask me if I could introduce him to anyone. I told him I had someone in mind, and it's you, obviously".

"'Obviously,'" Seven mocked, "the last time you tried to set me up with someone, they used me for my money, Dimitri. I don't want to go through that again".

With a grimace, Dimitri nodded his head. "I understand," and he truly did.

The last person Dimitri tried to set Seven up with was a woman named Destiny. She was a nice person when Dimitri met her, but that quickly changed when she'd been introduced to Seven and found out just how much money the man was pulling in each year. She made Seven pay for everything, and whenever he refused, she would complain until Seven gave in just to shut her up.

Dimitri continued to speak, "Fionn isn't like Destiny. I told Cairo a bit about you so that he could relay it to Fionn. I mentioned that you make a lot of money, and that the last relationship wasn't the greatest due to you being used for it. Cairo told me a bit about Fionn, and turns out he's a trust fund baby. The man's got as much cash as you do, Sev, he doesn't need your money, nor does he want it. He lives in a small apartment with Cairo, they have mismatched furniture. Fionn's not blowing his cash and living the lavish life. I wouldn't have even known he was a trust fund baby because he doesn't spend his money like he is one. That's got to mean something about his character, right?"

Seven looked at Dimitri hesitantly, "I guess, he's either smart about his money or he's incredibly stingy".

"I don't think he's stingy".

"Yeah, well you thought Destiny was a nice woman, and look where that ended up".

"Okay, that's true, but I really think he's different from her. I have a good feeling".

"What does he look like then?"

"Well, I don't have a picture or anything, but he looks like he's average height, so maybe five foot nine. When I stand beside him, I can see the difference. I'm six'two, so you'll see it too when you stand beside him since you're six feet. He's Irish, he's a redhead and has green eyes, and he also ha-" "Wait, hold on," Seven interrupted, "I think I know who you're talking about actually. Does he work at Club Fahrenheit? He's a bartender, right?"

Dimitri had to think for a moment because he doesn't recall ever learning Fionn's profession. It took him a few seconds to remember the first encounter he'd had with Cairo and Fionn. Fionn had been walking an intoxicated Cairo home from the club where he said he worked as a bartender.

"Yeah, he's a bartender, works at Club Fahrenheit. You've seen him before then, how do you think he looks?"

"I think he's pretty cute, I've only ever seen him a few times. I don't go to that club very often, I wonder why he works as a bartender if he has a trust fund to rely on?"

Dimitri shrugged his shoulders, "maybe he just likes the environment, Cairo mentioned he's still in college. He's already got his bachelor's degree, but he's going for his master's now. I guess being a bartender is just a thing he does on the side for fun".

"How old is he?"

"Twenty-three".

"I wonder what he's getting his master's degree in".

Dimitri smiled, "you can find out if you go on a date with him".

Seven looked at his friend in amusement, "I bet you're right, what about you and Cairo? What's happening with you two since you both are trying to play matchmaker here?"

"If I'm being honest, I don't really know. I like him, and I think he's very cute. I can tell that he's just a very peculiar person. He comes off as a bit socially awkward so I kind of don't know how to go about things. I don't want to scare him away by coming on too strong, so I was going to let him make the moves, but then again he seems like the type who wouldn't because he's too nervous. I'm just going about things hesitantly and slowly".

"Maybe you two need to go on a date yourselves, have you even been on one yet?"

"Technically no, I've been to his apartment to try some Irish food, and Fionn was there. I've been alone with him when I visited him at his job, but that wasn't really a date. We've texted a few times throughout the week since we've exchanged numbers, but other than that nothing's really come out of it".

"You're definitely going to have to make the first move," Seven affirmed. "Ask him to go on a date, it doesn't even have to be anything formal, yeah? Maybe a drink out, go to a club or something".

"A club? That doesn't sound like a very good first date".

"I just said the club because that's like the first place you met him, right? Or outside of one technically, but whatever. He's twenty-two, he likes to drink because he was drunk when you first spoke to him. You said he was quite mouthy, talkative when he's had a few. Maybe going to where he's obviously comfortable and can have a drink or two that'll help get rid of the jitters will make it easier to see how he feels about things".

Dimitri stared at Seven before slowly nodding his head in agreement. Cairo was like a completely different person when he was drunk. It wasn't in a bad way or anything, he wasn't hostile or aggressive after having a couple of drinks; he just seemed to be less nervous. Dimitri would've never guessed that the man who'd bumped into him that night was the same Cairo who fidgeted when he was anxious. Dimitri wasn't purposely going to get Cairo drunk; however, that's something he would never do.

"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea, I'm surprised you came up with it".

"I'm not just good with numbers, you asshole," Seven joked as he chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Dimitri waved his hand dismissively. "If I'm going to the club with Cairo then you have to at least go on a date with Fionn".

"Fine," Seven sighed and he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not opposed to it, not after hearing a bit about him. I think knowing he has money of his own and he's not blowing through it makes me feel a little better, you know?"

"I do, I think you two will get on well, at least I hope so. Do you want me to text Cairo that you're down for it?"

"Please," Seven walked into his kitchen and began to rummage through his pantry. "You can give Cairo my number to pass on to Fionn too".

Dimitri pulled his phone from his pocket and sent Cairo a text. It was six in the afternoon, so he knew Cairo was off of work, but he wasn't sure if he was doing something at the moment. He kept his message short and simple, just letting Cairo know that Seven was open to meeting Fionn and to pass Seven's number off to him so the two could get in contact. Cairo responded saying he would be sure to pass it on, and to tell Seven that he said hi.

Dimitri chuckled and pocketed his phone, "Cairo says hi".

"To me?" Seven questioned, returning to the living room with a bag of chips. "That's nice of him. I can't wait to meet him honestly, I'm curious to see what he looks like. It'll be nice to finally put a face to the person you've been talking about for the last month now".

"I can't wait for you to meet him too, I doubt you won't like him. Cairo seems pretty hard not to like".

"That's good, I wouldn't want him to be like some of the other people you've spoken with. You know the whole not wanting to really interact with you because of your job. He doesn't seem to care that you're a police officer, right?"

"Not at all, but then again we haven't known each other long enough for him to see the effects of it. I've been dealing with pretty mundane stuff since meeting him. Just giving out tickets and patrolling the streets. Cairo has yet to see me after a rough day, so I don't really know how he'd take learning about the more serious stuff that I deal with".

Seven was secretly glad to hear the past few weeks had been pretty uneventful for Dimitri. You just never knew with his job how his days were going to be. Some days only minor things would occur while other days could be much more eventful. Seven remembered the time Dimitri first told him his plans to become a police officer, and he remembered how fucking scared he was for his friend. He had looked at Dimitri and told him he supported him in his choice, but that he was still scared for him.

Seven had never really understood what it felt like for people who knew police officers personally until Dimitri actually graduated from the police academy and had earned his title as an officer of the law. It'd been a shock to him how fast Dimitri had been thrown into the field. During the police academy, Dimitri patrolled with a police officer who had been on the force for years. They dealt with severe situations many times, but Seven had never really been too worried because Dimitri wasn't on his own. The second he became a police officer; however, Dimitri didn't have back up with him anymore.

Seven constantly felt like he was playing the waiting game for something bad to happen to Dimitri. He was preparing for the day he'd get a call saying his friend had been injured, or worse killed, while he was on duty. It hadn't happened yet, but Seven still remembered the day Dimitri called him in tears because he'd killed someone. It pained him the first time having to watch Dimitri deal with the investigation on whether his shooting was justified or not, and it wasn't any less hard when he had to watch Dimitri go through it again for a second time.

"Does he already know about the two shooting incidents?"

"He does," Dimitri answered, "he asked if I ever killed anyone before and I told him the truth that I had. He didn't react poorly, but then again I didn't go into detail about it".

"If you guys were to date, do you think he'd leave once he's gotten a good idea of just how scary your job is?"

Dimitri took a moment to think about Cairo before responding, "I wouldn't be surprised if he did".

"Do you even want to try for a relationship then if you think he's just going to bail when shit hits the fan?"

"I do want to try, I like him and I want to see where it goes".

"Okay," Seven replied, "you know I'm not going to discourage you from trying".

Dimitri looked towards Seven's phone because it suddenly pinged due to receiving a new text message. He watched his friend pick it up and peer at the screen.

"Oh, I like this Fionn guy already. He's called me mate and asked if I want to get a drink with him on Friday. Pretty straight forward and to the point, I quite like it".

"Are you going to say yes then?"

"Of course, I'm always down for a drink," Seven laughed. He rolled his eyes when he noticed the way Dimitri was now looking at him. "Stop looking at me like that, you should be texting Cairo the exact same thing Fionn just texted me. I haven't even met Fionn yet and we already have plans for a night out, you've known Cairo for a month and have nothing. Get on with it, why don't you?"

Dimitri nodded his head and pulled out his own phone while saying the words, "you've got me there".

Dimitri wasn't sure how Cairo would take being asked if he wanted to go out somewhere for drinks, but the man wouldn't know if he never took the initiative and asked. So he did, and of course Cairo said yes. Dimitri found himself looking forward to getting drinks with Cairo, he hoped something good would come out of the night.


	7. Chapter Seven

"Cairo, you look fine, please relax".

Fionn watched Cairo from where he had sprawled himself onto the younger man's bed. His green eyes watched Cairo pace around the room, wringing his hands together absentmindedly. Sometimes Fionn wondered if he actually suffered from an anxiety disorder because the things he got anxious over just seemed so mundane.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, mate, you look hot," Fionn answered simply. "If we weren't such good friends, I'd probably want to bang you".

"Thank you?" Cairo said, he sounded unsure on whether or not he should pose it as a question. "That's nice of you".

"You're welcome, but really, you look perfectly fine. I doubt Dimitri will find a problem with the way you're dressed".

Cairo nodded his head, mentally pumping himself up. "Yeah, you're right," he looked at Fionn, "you look nice too".

Fionn was dressed in a short sleeve, light blue button-up shirt that was tucked into well-fitting jeans. The shirt complimented his green eyes, and his curly red hair was styled in a sort of quiff. The man had put on a watch and his nicest pair of Vans. It was a nice casual look that made it look like he wasn't trying too hard to impress anyone.

With an amused smile, Fionn spoke, "thank you, Cairo".

The two men were waiting for the time for them to leave their apartment and head out to the club they, Dimitri, and Seven had all agreed upon. It just kind of worked out that they were all available to grab drinks Friday night. Seven got off of work at his usual time, Cairo worked a morning shift, Fionn didn't have a night class, and Dimitri actually had Friday night off of work for once.

"Are you nervous? You don't look it".

"Honestly?" Fionn paused to think, he shrugged his shoulders. "Not really, I'm more so excited. I'm looking forward to meeting Seven, we've been texting for the last week nonstop. It'll be nice to finally meet him in person".

"I'm nervous to meet him," Cairo confessed.

Fionn turned his head and furrowed his eyebrows, "why?"

"I don't know, I guess it's just because he's Dimitri's friend, and I don't want him to think poorly of me. If Seven doesn't like me then that might have an affect on whether Dimitri would want to talk to me anymore".

"Cairo, I don't think Seven won't like you," Fionn shook his head. "How can you think like that?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Cairo finally stopped moving around the room. He scratched at his arm and shifted his weight from foot to foot. "That's how it worked in middle and high school for me. People thought I was weird, so they wouldn't talk to me because of it".

Fionn shook his head a little, but he didn't speak. Cairo had told him a bit about what his school years were like for him, but sometimes Fionn just forgot how rough they were. Fionn couldn't fathom how anybody could bully Cairo, or why anybody would bully him. Yeah, he was a bit quirky, but quirky didn't necessarily mean bad.

"Don't think like that," Fionn sat up, "I think he'll like you loads. We should head out now, the club's on the other side of town, so it'll take us a bit to get there".

"Yeah, okay," Cairo murmured.

He grabbed his phone from where it was resting on his nightstand and pocketed it. Cairo wondered how it was so easy for Fionn to just assume that people would like him. He said the same thing when Cairo told him he was worried about his new co-workers thinking he was odd. When Cairo came home after his first day on the job, he avoided telling Fionn that Olivia had been the only one out of his co-workers to give him a hard time. Fionn had a very optimistic outlook when it came to Cairo, and sometimes Cairo wanted to sit him down and tell him he really shouldn't.

The drive to the club was relatively quiet. It was a comfortable silence as Fionn drove and Cairo sat in the passenger seat thinking. The club they were going to was apparently a gay one, and Cairo had never been to a gay club before. Club Fahrenheit was Cairo's go to club because it was close to his apartment and Fionn worked there. Club Fahrenheit wasn't a gay club, but it did welcome people who were in LGBTQ plus community. Cairo figured a gay club wasn't really any different from a regular club, it just had more gay people in attendance.

Leaving the apartment at the time they did seemed to work out for Cairo and Fionn. They were able to find a parking space in the parking lot belonging to the club. Fionn texted Seven to see if he and Dimitri were already there, but he received a text saying they weren't.

"Seven says they won't be very long," Fionn stated. "Do you want to get out of the car or stay inside?"

"We can get out," Cairo answered. He was secretly grateful that Fionn had asked. Cairo couldn't pace around in the car.

"I hope the bartender makes good drinks," Fionn said offhandedly once the two were leaning against his car. Cairo had tried to pace around, but Fionn had grabbed him and forced him to stand beside him instead.

Cairo found himself chuckling, "if they don't, then maybe you could hop behind the counter and show them how it's done".

"I would if I wasn't guaranteed to get kicked out" Fionn replied, laughing. He raised his left hand up to mess around with his hair. "Should we talk about what we're going to do if either of us wants to bring our dates back to the apartment?"

Cairo placed his hands on his cheeks because he didn't want his blush to be visible. "You can have the apartment for the night if you want".

"Well no, Seven might invite me back to his actually, never mind. You've got the apartment".

"Are you planning to hook up with him then?"

Fionn shrugged, "if he's hot and we hit it off in person, I'm not opposed".

Cairo shook his head a little, "I don't know how you do it, how you're able to just live your life so freely. It must be great".

Fionn wanted to say something in response to Cairo's statement. He wanted to say something about how it made him sad to hear that Cairo thinks he, himself, can't live his life freely. What stopped him from speaking was seeing Dimitri walking up the sidewalk with another man beside him. Fionn nudged Cairo and motioned to where he was looking. The closer the two men got, the faster Fionn came to an important realization.

"Oh, Seven's hot," Fionn breathed. "Cairo, I'm definitely getting fucked tonight".

"Fionn!" Cairo gasped loudly, "oh my God".

"It's the truth".

Dimitri and Seven continued to close the distance between Fionn and Cairo, and once they were standing in front of them, Fionn smiled at Seven. The other man returned the favor and quickly gave Fionn a once-over. He liked what he saw, and of course, Fionn did as well. Seven was dressed in a nice pair of jeans and a white button-up shirt. He was wearing a black leather jacket and a nice pair of glasses were perched on his nose.

"Hi, mate, nice to finally meet you" Fionn greeted, "you look good".

Seven grinned, "you too".

While the two shared their greetings, Cairo watched them. While Cairo watched Fionn and Seven, Dimitri took the time to admire Cairo. The man thought he looked great, this was the first time he'd seen Cairo dressed up. He wasn't even that dressed up, per se, but Dimitri could tell that he had put in the effort tonight. Cairo was wearing the tightest black skinny jeans Dimitri thinks he had ever seen in his entire life. They were slit at the knee, so Cairo's knees could be seen. The plain white shirt he was wearing fit him nicely, and he wasn't wearing a jacket so Dimitri could see his arms. He was wearing simple hightop white Converse that went with his shirt.

Dimitri was glad Cairo hadn't dressed up too much because he didn't want to be underdressed. Dimitri was wearing a fitted black shirt and jeans of his own. They weren't tight like Cairo's, but they did fit him nicely. He had a watch on his wrist and simple black sneakers on his feet. He'd made sure to place his long dreadlocks in a bun so they wouldn't get in the way.

"Hi, Cairo," Dimitri greeted quietly, catching the man's attention.

Cairo looked at him and smiled, "hi, you look really nice, I like your hair".

"Thank you, you look nice as well".

Dimitri noticed Seven had taken the opportunity to peer at Cairo, he decided now would be a good time to introduce the two one another. "This is Seven, he's a really good friend of mine. We've known each other for a long time".

Seven offered his hand for Cairo to shake, and once Cairo did, he spoke. "It's nice to meet you, Dimitri's told me a bit about you".

"Oh, it's, uh... It's nice to meet you too," Cairo nodded his head quickly.

Seven understood what Dimitri meant by saying Cairo was peculiar. It was evident that he was nervous, and Seven was tempted to ask him why. He didn't though, he just pretended like he didn't notice Cairo was anxiously wringing his hands together. He was tempted to make a lighthearted joke and tell Cairo to relax, that he wasn't going to bite, but he thought better of it. Making a joke like that might make Cairo feel like he was being laughed at, and the last thing Seven wanted to do was start off on the wrong foot.

"Have you been to this club before?" Dimitri asked Cairo once the four of them were standing in line to get inside of the building.

Cairo was standing next to Dimitri while Fionn and Seven were holding their own conversation. Dimitri was secretly pleased about how well they seemed to be getting along already. He was a bit afraid that Seven would have his guard up when meeting Fionn in person for the first time, but thankfully Seven didn't.

Cairo shook his head a little, "no, I usually just go to Club Fahrenheit. I've never been to a gay club before, so this will be my first experience. Have you been here before?"

"A few times, it's really not all that different than any other club. Do you mind if I ask what your sexuality is?"

Dimitri was pretty positive Cairo liked men, if he didn't then it would become obvious that Cairo had just been kind of stringing him along for the past month. Dimitri didn't think Cairo would do that, he seemed too kind for such an act. Dimitri knew Seven was pansexual, and that Fionn was bisexual, and he, himself, was gay. He was simply curious to which Cairo was.

"I think I'm bi" Cairo answered, he sounded a bit uncertain, "I'm not really sure. I'm not as certain about my sexuality as I would like to be. I don't know if I'm actually pan because I still haven't quite worked out the difference between bi and pan yet. I don't think I'm gay though because I do find some women attractive, but... I don't know. It's a lot for me to figure out".

"I don't know your opinion on the term, but you could simply be queer".

"I've heard that word before, and I still don't really get it either".

"Queer's like an umbrella term, you know? It's used to refer to anyone who isn't heterosexual or isn't cisgendered. Since you seem to be hung up on exactly what your sexual identity is, you could identify as queer if you want to. The word has a rocky past though, it was used as a slur for a while, but some people today use it and reclaim it".

"I like the idea of reclaiming words," Cairo murmured.

Cairo began to think about what Dimitri said to him. The way Dimitri had explained the word to him seemed to fit Cairo. The man had always known he wasn't straight; however, he didn't know exactly what he was. He switched between identifying as bisexual, to pansexual, and then to gay. It felt like a never ending cycle of trying to figure out which sexuality label he needed to slap onto himself. Queer was a word that wasn't so strict, you could be anything if you identified as queer.

"I'm queer," Cairo stated, trying out the word. It sounded right to him. Cairo turned and tapped Fionn on the shoulder. When his friend was looking at him, he spoke, "Fionn, I'm queer".

Fionn smiled, "that's cool, mate".

With a nod of his head, Cairo turned to look at Dimitri, "thank you".

"For what? I didn't do anything".

"You did, you helped me finally figure out what I want to identify as. You don't know how long I've been trying to figure it out. This might sound silly, but I feel kind of relieved".

Dimitri smiled softly, "it doesn't sound silly at all. I'm glad I could help you".

It was dark inside the club once the four men had made it inside. Cairo instinctively grabbed Dimitri's hand, not wanting to lose him amongst all of the people. Dimitri squeezed his hand and slowly rubbed his thumb back and forth against Cairo's skin. Cairo lead the way to the bar, figuring that it would be a good idea to get the night started off with a drink.

Fionn and Seven followed behind Dimitri, and once they were at the bar, they all ordered drinks. Fionn thanked God the drink he'd ordered didn't turn out tasting like shit once it was handed to him and he'd given it a taste. Dimitri ordered a low alcohol drink, and it was going to be his only drink of the entire night. At the end of the day, he was still a police officer, and he couldn't leave the club the slightest bit intoxicated and drive home.

"We're going to go dance!" Fionn exclaimed, speaking loud enough so both Dimitri and Cairo could hear him over the music.

Cairo nodded his head and watched Fionn and Seven disappear onto the dance floor. Cairo concentrated on finishing his drink, and once he did, he promptly ordered another. Cairo wasn't going to get drunk, he told himself that before he even got dressed to go to the club. Two drinks would take the edge off some. He didn't want to be so nervous that he wouldn't be able to have a good time.

"Do you dance?" Cairo asked Dimitri, sipping from the straw of his drink slowly.

"I do, it's been a while if I'm honest though".

"Do you want to dance with me?"

"I do, do you want to finish your drink first?"

There wasn't much left in the glass, so Cairo ditched the straw and decided he'd finish it faster if he just downed the rest. He left a tip for the bartender on the counter and then stood up from his chair. Cairo pulled Dimitri to the dance floor, and Dimitri let him. He let Cairo take the lead on how close their bodies were as they danced, and once he realized Cairo was okay with being close, he hesitantly placed his hands on the younger man's waist. Dimitri had seen many drunk people during his time as a police officer, so he knew the stages of alcohol intoxication. Cairo wasn't drunk, but Dimitri could tell the two drinks he had were beginning to have an affect on him.

Dimitri could see it in the way Cairo was dancing freely with the palms of his hands pressed against Dimitri's stomach. Cairo was looking at him, and he looked really happy. He was smiling and his mouth was moving, but Dimitri could barely hear what he was saying because the music was just too loud. Dimitri turned his head to the left and looked downward so Cairo could speak into his ear.

"I like you a lot!"

With a laugh, Dimitri nodded his head in agreement, he looked at Cairo. "I like you too".

Dimitri was standing up straight again, so when Cairo began to speak, he could no longer hear him. He tried to read his lips and he furrowed his eyebrows because he was pretty terrible at it. It looked like Cairo was asking him something. Dimitri tapped his own ear and went to bend down, but Cairo stopped him. Cairo moved his hands from where they were pressed against Dimitri's stomach. They moved up to Dimitri's chest then to his shoulders and along his neck. Cairo's hands stopped there and he brushed his thumb along the shell of Dimitri's right ear. Dimitri fought to keep from shivering at the feeling and he opened his mouth to ask Cairo what exactly he was doing.

Dimitri couldn't get a word out because Cairo's lips were on his and he was being kissed. Dimitri was five inches taller than Cairo, so Cairo had to stand up on the tips of toes so he could make up for the lost inches. Standing on his tiptoes wasn't enough, so Dimitri turned his head down so Cairo wasn't struggling to keep their lips connected. Cairo being a good kisser was the first thing that popped into Dimitri's mind. He liked the way Cairo's lips felt against his own, and he could feel the other man humming in contentment. Dimitri figured he could probably kiss Cairo for hours, but that thought went out the window when he felt someone collide with his back.

He grunted at the impact and stood up straight, disconnecting his lips from Cairo's. Standing on a dance floor and kissing wasn't the best idea in the world. Cairo dropped his hands from Dimitri's neck and took a hold of Dimitri's hand instead.

"Let's get out of here!"

Dimitri nodded his head and walked with Cairo off of the dance floor. Dimitri didn't exactly know what 'getting out of here' meant. When he was Cairo's age, 'getting out of here' meant leaving to have sex. Dimitri wasn't too sure if it meant the same thing to Cairo or not.

Dimitri pulled out his phone once he and Cairo were outside of the club. He was surprised to see the time, he hadn't realized how long they'd actually been inside. Dimitri was going to send a text to Seven letting him know that he and Cairo were leaving, but it seemed Seven had beaten him to it.

I've left with Fionn!

Dimitri stared at the message before finally chuckling. He shook his head and put his phone back in his pocket. He didn't have to think too hard to figure out what they most likely left to do.

"Dimitri".

"Yeah?" Dimitri looked up at Cairo, "sorry, I was texting Seven to let him know we left".

"Fionn's car is gone, and I rode with him".

"Seven left with Fionn, I'm sure they probably went back to Seven's place. You don't have a ride home, so it looks like you're stuck with me".

Cairo hummed, "looks like it, I don't quite mind though".

Dimitri smiled, he liked Cairo when he wasn't tipsy off of two drinks, but he also liked him when he was. The alcohol was good for ridding Cairo of his usual anxiousness.

"Let's walk to the car, yeah?"

Cairo nodded and looked at Dimitri's hand. Dimitri held it out for him to take and Cairo didn't hesitate to do so.

"Was it okay that I kissed you?" Cairo asked, avoiding eye contact by looking down at the sidewalk. "I tried asking before I did it, but you couldn't hear me... So I just kind of went for it".

"It's fine, I liked it. I've been meaning to ask how you felt about me".

"I meant what I said back in the club, I do like you a lot".

"I like you too, I was thinking we could maybe see where things went".

Cairo glanced at Dimitri and nodded his head, "yeah, I'd like that".

Cairo went on to talk about how he had a good time, and how happy he was that Fionn and Seven seemed to have hit it off so well. Dimitri listened to him ramble as they continued to walk down the sidewalk. He stared down at their entwined fingers and smiled. His smile didn't last for more than a few seconds; however, because Cairo was suddenly screaming.

Dimitri looked up and his eyes widened in shock. Seeing a mangled body laying on the sidewalk a few feet away caused Dimitri to instinctively pull Cairo's body into his own. Cairo went without protest and hid his face in Dimitri's chest, sniffling and fighting to keep himself from crying. Dimitri surveyed the area with his eyes, but nothing looked out of the ordinary. It was dark, as it was almost midnight, and he and Cairo were the only two people walking down the sidewalk. The club wasn't too far from where they were, but no else had seemed to venture their way yet.

"Cairo, we need to get to the car," Dimitri stated, "right now".

Dimitri wanted to console Cairo because it was obvious the younger man was shaken up, but they needed to get out of the open. Dimitri had no idea whether whoever was responsible for the dead body was still around. The streetlights weren't doing much of anything, it was too dark for Dimitri to see anyone potentially lurking in alleyways or behind dumpsters.

Cairo nodded his head a little, letting Dimitri know that he heard him and understood. He let Dimitri guide him down the sidewalk as they left enough distance from the lifeless body. A huge part of Cairo didn't want to look, but the smaller part of him won the battle and he looked anyway. It was like witnessing a bad car accident, you know you shouldn't look, but there's just something that makes you have to. Cairo had already received an eyeful when he first spotted the body, but as they passed by, it was so much worse than Cairo initially thought.

Cairo could see the deep gashes carved into the man's skin and the red, nearly black, blood that had seeped out of the wounds and stained the concrete. The man's arm was bent at an odd angle, and Cairo could see the white bone. Not only were there deep gashes on the man's abdomen, but there was a nasty cut along his throat as well. Cairo turned his head away and hid his face against Dimitri's side as they continued to walk. The car wasn't far, and once they were upon it, Dimitri unlocked the doors and helped Cairo into the passenger seat.

"I'm going to call nine-one-one," Dimitri stated, he popped open the glove compartment and slowly took out the licensed gun he had spared away there. "I need you to stay in the car, alright?"

Cairo sniffled and struggled to keep his tears at bay. He nodded his head, "okay, but Dimitri, I'm really scared".

"I understand," Dimitri replied as he pressed a kiss to Cairo's forehead before thinking better of it. "I won't let anything happen to you though, okay?"

"Okay".

Dimitri left Cairo with the keys to the car and the younger man shakily inserted them into the ignition. He flicked on the interior light so he wouldn't be left alone to sit in the dark. He made sure to lock the doors and he peered out the window. He could see Dimitri standing near the body, his head cocked to the side so he could hold his phone between his ear and shoulder. His hands were gripping his gun and he looked to be on alert.

Emergency responders arrived in less than twenty minutes, and Cairo was grateful. He hoped that since they were there, he and Dimitri could leave. Cairo was so nervous being outside, he didn't know if he was in danger or not. All he wanted was to be underneath a roof and as far away from the crime scene as possible. Dimitri had to provide the responders with as much information as he could, and once there was nothing more he could do, he was finally able to leave.

"I'm going to bring you home with me, okay? I don't think you should be alone right now," Dimitri explained once he'd returned to the car.

Dimitri had seen plenty of dead bodies while being on the police force. Seeing one now didn't have much of an affect on him; however, he remembered how much of a shock it was for him the first time he'd come face to face with one. He understood how Cairo was feeling, and he could tell that Cairo wasn't okay.

"Yeah," Cairo whispered, he rubbed at his eyes, "okay".

Cairo couldn't wait until he and Dimitri weren't out in the open anymore. He'd feel a lot safer when they were both inside.


	8. Chapter Eight

Cairo had cried only a bit when he saw the mangled body of the man, and he was quiet for the entire ride to Dimitri's house. Dimitri was waiting for the other shoe to drop, and he wasn't surprised when it finally did. It was when Cairo had crossed the threshold of Dimitri's house that he finally started sobbing. Dimitri closed and locked the front door and watched Cairo walk into the living room.

Through his intense crying, Cairo pointed to the couch, "can I sit here?"

Fighting to hold back a laugh, Dimitri nodded his head. He felt bad for wanting to laugh because Cairo was clearly distressed. It was such a Cairo thing to ask before sitting on someone's couch regardless of if he were in the middle of crying or not. The urge to want to laugh faded away rather quickly when Cairo settled into the couch and continued to sob. Dimitri entered the living room from where he was standing in the foyer and joined him on the couch.

"Come here," Dimitri murmured, he took a hold of Cario's wrist and carefully pulled the younger man closer to him. 

Just like before, Cairo didn't protest and went easily. He huddled close to Dimitri and cried into the man's chest. Dimitri didn't say anything yet, he just simply used his hand to rub soft circles against Cairo's back. Dimitri figured it wouldn't do any good if he told Cairo to stop crying. The man was upset, and he had a right to be. Seeing a dead body that hadn't been gruesomely cut open was traumatizing, so Dimitri could definitely understand why Cairo was crying as hard as he was due to seeing a body that had been mangled. Dimitri remembered crying after work the first time he'd encountered a dead body. The man figured crying was a good thing, he'd much rather have Cairo expressing his emotions than bottling them up.

Dimitri hummed softly and whispered quiet 'shh's to help calm Cairo down, but by no means did he tell the younger man to stop crying. He was going to let Cairo decide when he wanted to stop. The crying fit lasted for about fifteen minutes before Cairo's heavy sobbing began to turn into soft whimpers, and then simply to just sniffling every few seconds.

"I'm sorry," Cairo apologized, his voice no louder than a whisper.

"Don't be, you have no reason to be sorry," Dimitri replied. "I'm sorry you had to see what you saw".

Cairo shook his head a little and snaked his arms around Dimitri's waist. "How could anyone do that to another person, Dimitri?"

A heavy sigh made its way out of Dimitri's chest, "I don't know, that's one of the questions I ask myself all of the time when I'm working. How could someone rob another person? How could someone vandalize another person's property? How could anyone murder another person in cold blood? I don't have an answer to any of those questions, especially not the last one".

"I just don't understand. You don't seem to be very upset about it, how come?"

"Can I tell you something? When I was fresh out of the academy I dealt with a lot of different situations. Some were more rewarding than others and I was able to help the people in need. I always felt like I was on cloud nine whenever I achieved my goal of helping someone. Whenever I wasn't able to help someone I crashed really hard. It almost cost me my job in the beginning because every time I failed, I'd just go into this depressive fog. My captain had to sit me down and tell me I had to grow thicker skin or else he'd have to send me away. I had to grow thick skin if I wanted to be an officer, and so I did. Cairo, the hardest thing about my job is the fact I can't always save everyone".

Cairo sniffled, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it seem like I was accusing you of not being sad".

"Don't apologize, I didn't take it that way at all, and I am sad. I'm really sad, it's just not the first dead body I've seen. I'm also upset because I couldn't help the man who was being murdered. I was a block away, and I couldn't save him".

"You would've tried if you had known," Cairo replied, "right?"

"Right," Dimitri answered, he patted Cairo's shoulder. "It's really late, I think we should head to bed".

"Can I take a shower? I feel really gross".

"Of course".

Dimitri helped Cairo up from the couch and lead him upstairs. Cairo followed behind the older man, but he hesitated once Dimitri had walked into his room. Cairo wasn't sure if he was allowed in or not. He stepped into the room and was prepared to receive a look from Dimitri, but he didn't. The other man was too busy pulling a drawer from his dresser open.

"Do you want a short sleeve shirt or a long sleeve shirt?"

"Long, please".

"Okay, shorts or pants?"

"Shorts".

Dimitri took out a long sleeved shirt from the drawer along with a pair of sleep shorts. He walked with Cairo to the guest room which had an ensuite bathroom. On the way, he grabbed a towel and washcloth from his linen closet.

"I'm going to take a shower myself, so if you get done before me then you can make yourself at home," Dimitri informed. He placed the folded shirt, shorts, towel, and washcloth on the bathroom counter and looked at Cairo. "Okay?"

Cairo nodded his head and managed to work up a small smile, "okay".

Dimitri left Cairo on his own, providing the younger man with privacy. Once he had returned to his room, Dimitri took out his own pair of sleeping clothes and entered his ensuite bathroom. While Dimitri showered, he took the time to think about the man who had been murdered. He wondered if the murder from a few weeks ago was in connection to the one that occurred tonight. Dimitri hadn't seen the first body, so he didn't know if both bodies were killed in a similar fashion. He knew the first man had been stabbed, but he didn't know to what extent. The body from tonight's murder looked bad. The cuts were deep and unclean, especially the cut on the man's throat. If the bodies were killed in a similar fashion, then it could possibly mean there was one person who murdered both people.

Dimitri hated that Cairo had to see the body, he wished he, himself, had seen it first so that he maybe could've redirected Cairo's attention to something else. It was hard for him to leave the man in the car while he spoke with the emergency responders who arrived onto the scene. He'd have much rather stayed with Cairo, but Dimitri also had to relay the right information to the responders. Watching Cairo cry the way he had was also hard for Dimitri. It'd only really been a month since the two met, but a month was long enough for Dimitri to care about Cairo.

While Dimitri was still thinking and showering, Cairo had just finished getting dressed in his pajamas. They were large on him, which was to be expected. Cairo wasn't as built as Dimitri, so his shirts were too large for Cairo. The shorts had a drawstring on them, so Cairo adjusted them so they fit comfortably and wouldn't threaten to fall down. Cairo folded his clothes, towel, and washcloth and he placed them on the counter.

Cairo felt a bit odd just roaming Dimitri's house while he was in the shower even though Dimitri said he could make himself at home. Instead of roaming, Cairo stayed in the guest bedroom and took the opportunity to text Fionn. He hadn't heard from the man except for when he had sent a text to Cairo letting him know he had left the club with Seven. Cairo didn't think Fionn would respond to his text, he was pretty sure he was asleep by now.

I'm with Dimitri. Something bad happened. I'm fine though, text me when you wake up, please.

Cairo moved and set his phone down on the nightstand, and just as he was doing so, Dimitri appeared in the doorway.

"Hi, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired now," Cairo answered as he stood up. "Thank you for letting me shower, and for the pajamas".

"Of course," Dimitri motioned to the bed, "I'll let you get to sleep then. I'll see you in the morning. If for some reason you need me, come get me".

Before Dimitri could leave, Cairo walked up to him and pressed a quick kiss to the man's cheek. He turned away before Dimitri could really react because the alcohol he'd consumed in the beginning of the night had long since left his system. Cairo was back to being a bit nervous about messing up around Dimitri.

"Goodnight," Cairo said, focusing on getting in the bed.

Dimitri smiled even though he knew Cairo couldn't see it, "goodnight, Cairo".

Both men didn't truly realize how tired they actually were until they were both finally laying down in a bed. It took less than ten minutes for Dimitri to fall asleep, and once he was out, he didn't turn over once. On the other hand, it took Cairo thirty minutes to find a position that was comfortable enough for him to fall asleep. Cairo tossed and turned, and he couldn't sleep for more than twenty minutes at a time before he was waking up again.

Cairo thought he was fine. He thought the only thing that was wrong with him was being tired, but he was soon coming to the realization he was wrong. The body of the man Cairo had seen seemed to be etched and burned into the back of his eyelids. Every time he closed his eyes it was all he could see. Cairo had cried about what happened to the man, and he thought about it and he questioned it, and he dreamed about it too.

In his dream, Cairo could see the man running. He didn't know what or who he was running from, but he was trying his hardest to get away. There was nothing surrounding the man except for total darkness, every which way he turned, it was dark. The man was panting, and his pace was slowing down rapidly. It was clear he wasn't going to be able to continue on for much longer. The man stumbled and fell, and his face revealed how scared he was. Before he could get back up, there was a knife stabbing him in his abdomen and he was screaming.

It was like Cairo could hear the man's screams for real because he jolted awake with a start. It was too dark in the room for Cairo to see anything, and he didn't like that. He felt like he had replaced the man in his nightmare, and it was his turn to run now. That absolutely terrified him. Cairo hadn't experienced a panic attack for a year and a half, but he was having one now.

Cairo felt like his heart was beating a mile a minute, and that's because it was. His breathing was rapid and he couldn't get one good breath in. Hot tears were welling up in his eyes and he struggled to keep them from falling. Cairo's had panic attacks before, but the man figured he would never be able to get used to the feeling that they brought. Cairo felt like he was dying, and he had it in his head that he was.

Stumbling up and out of the bed from where he was laying down, Cairo turned on the lights in the room. He began walking around the room, his pace choppy. Cairo was shaking his hands in front of his chest as he tried to get himself to calm down, but he just couldn't. Cairo could see himself as the man in his nightmare and he didn't want to be him.

"Hey, hey, hey," Dimitri walked into the room, "what's happening? What's going on?"

Dimitri had been woken up from his sleep due to Cairo's panic attack. He could hear him from where he had been laying in his bed due to the guest and master bedroom not being very far apart. Cairo wasn't being as quiet as he thought. Dimitri had no idea what Cairo was doing as he sleepily made his way down the hallway and to the guest room. It was a surprise for him to see Cairo pacing around the room in obvious distress.

"I'm ha-" Cairo cut himself off and sucked in a breath, "having a p-panic attack, I don't..." Cairo shook his head, "I'm going to die". 

"You're not going to die," Dimitri stated as he approached Cairo. "Am I allowed to touch you?"

Cairo nodded.

"Alright," Dimitri placed a hand on Cairo's back. "Listen to me, what you're feeling is scary, but it's not dangerous. Match my breathing, okay?"

Cairo stared at Dimitri and watched the way his chest was moving at a normal pace. He worked to get his breathing on track with Dimitri's but it wasn't as easy as the younger man would've liked it to be. Cairo was feeling a lot of things at the moment. He was anxious, and he was scared, and he could feel himself beginning to get angry with himself.

"Hey, focus on me," Dimitri bent his knees and put himself at Cairo's height so they could be eye level with each other. "You're doing a really good job. Just match my breathing, okay? You're safe, it's just you and me, and no one else. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, you are not going to die, Cairo".

"Okay," Cairo nodded his head a little and tried again to do what Dimitri had said.

Cairo's panic attacks usually lasted for about twenty minutes if they were bad enough. He could feel himself beginning to come down from his state of panic the longer he concentrated on breathing. He had Dimitri's words on repeat in his mind and it helped in making him feel like he could breathe again.

"I'm really sorry," Cairo apologized once his breathing was slow and easy. "I'm really embarrassed, I don't know... I don't know why I had a panic attack. Well, I mean I do, but like I still don't know why it happened".

"Don't worry about it, and please, don't be embarrassed. Can I get you anything? Like water?"

"I... That'd be nice," Cairo murmured.

Dimitri left the room after telling Cairo to get back in the bed. Cairo did as he was told and waited for Dimitri to return. It didn't take Dimitri long to make the glass of water, so he was back in under five minutes.

"Do you want to talk about it or should we pretend it didn't happen? Personally I think we should talk about it, but it's your call".

Dimitri passed off the glass of water to Cairo and he took a sip from it before answering. "I'll talk".

Dimitri turned off the ceiling light and turned on the lamp that was placed on top of the nightstand before getting into the bed with Cairo. He left enough room between Cairo to ensure he wouldn't feel cramped.

"I had a nightmare about, um... About the body," Cairo mumbled. "In my nightmare he was running away from something and it was really dark. It was just blackness all around him. He tripped and fell, and before he could get back up... He had been stabbed, and he screamed and that's when I woke up. The room was dark and I couldn't see anything in front of me, so it made me feel like I was in the man's position now. I panicked and fell into an anxiety attack".

Cairo placed the glass of water onto the nightstand that was on his side. He pulled his knees up to his chest and shook his head. "I don't know why I panicked, I already expressed my emotions over seeing that man dead. I'm not sure why my body is holding onto it. I know you said not to feel embarrassed, but I really am. I don't want you to be put off by me because of my sobbing episode from earlier and now this. I want to see where things go with us, but I don't know if you've changed your mind by now. I promise I'm not usually like this, Dimitri, I swear".

"Cairo, you saw a dead body. You know that, right? Your reaction is perfectly normal. Honestly, if you hadn't have cried or even had your panic attack, and you just walked around like seeing a dead body was no big deal... Then I probably would've thought there was something wrong with you," Dimitri explained. "I'm not put off by you, far from it. Just because you cried earlier doesn't mean that you still can't be feeling something now. It's okay that you're feeling emotions, I'm not going to judge you for that".

Cairo felt his eyes getting misty because he was relieved. "I'm not going to cry again, Dimitri. You're not going to make me".

Smiling softly, Dimitri said, "I wouldn't judge you at all if you did". He patted Cairo's knee softly, "I think you should speak to someone on a professional level about what you saw today and how you feel about it. I really don't want it fucking with your head, Cairo. What do you think about that?"

"I would, but... I can't afford a therapy session right now".

Dimitri shook his head, "I can get you in contact with a good therapist that provides a sliding-scale pay system. The police department is good with providing people mental health that coincides with their income. The amount you pay for the therapy session is based solely on your income, nothing else. If you still can't afford it then I'll pay for your session myself".

"Absolutely not," Cairo frowned, "I can't ask that of you".

"You're not asking me, Cairo," Dimitri replied, "I'm offering".

Cairo was having an internal battle with himself. He couldn't accept Dimitri's offer, he didn't want the man to pay for his therapy session. It didn't feel right to him at all, but Cairo really did feel like talking to someone professionally would help him cope.

"Look, you don't have to make a decision now. Just think about it later, okay?" Dimitri suggested, "for now, let's just sleep".

"Okay," Cairo agreed, he watched Dimitri move to get up from the bed. Cairo placed his hand on top of Dimitri's, causing the man to stop. "Um, could you, uh... Could you sleep in here with me?" Cairo paused to let Dimitri answer, but he decided to quickly add, "I promise I'll stay on my side of the bed".

Dimitri chuckled in amusement, but he didn't get up from the bed. Instead he reached over and turned the lamp off. Cairo took the action as meaning Dimitri was staying, and he laid back down as Dimitri got comfortable too.

Cairo was biting his lip and laying on his back, blinking into the darkness when he heard Dimitri say, "by the way, I wouldn't mind if you didn't stay on your side of the bed".


	9. Chapter Nine

Dimitri woke up before Cairo did which the man wasn't very surprised at. Cairo had a pretty rough night, and Dimitri figured he was probably pretty exhausted. Dimitri was glad the curtains of the windows were drawn shut because it allowed for the room to still remain pretty dark despite the sun shining outside. It was quiet enough for Dimitri to be able to hear Cairo's steady breathing. The sleeping man was laying right beside him with his head resting on Dimitri's shoulder.

Dimitri thought back to Cairo's panic attack. It pained him that Cairo was affected by what he'd seen, and he hoped the younger man would accept Dimitri's offer of paying for his therapy session if he couldn't afford it on his own. Dimitri thought Cairo would really benefit from talking to someone professionally. He could offer Cairo comfort and support, but he really couldn't do the things a therapist could.

Cairo shifted in his sleep, and Dimitri could see him beginning to wake up out of the corner of his eye. Dimitri didn't say anything, he stayed quiet and let Cairo wake up slowly, but surely. Dimitri could feel Cairo's body tense up when he seemed to realize just how close he actually was to the older man.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," Cairo apologized before promptly rolling over and putting distance between himself and Dimitri.

"What did I say last night?" Dimitri asked as he turned his head to look at Cairo, "how come you're always so nervous around me?"

"I just don't want to mess up," Cairo murmured, he stared into the bathroom from where he was laying. His hand gripped the blanket that was covering his body, his thumb brushing against the fabric. "I used to mess up in school and it would cost me friends".

Dimitri frowned at Cairo's words, he hated that Cairo had such a hard time while he was in school. Dimitri turned on his side so he was facing Cairo, he moved closer to him and slowly draped an arm over Cairo's waist. He did it slowly because he wasn't sure how Cairo would feel about it. He'd have enough time to move away if he wanted to before Dimitri touched him.

"You can't mess up, not around me," Dimitri reassured, "you're fine, Cairo, I promise".

"I hear you say that, but it's like... It's like my brain just won't let me believe it".

"I understand," Dimitri replied, and he really did. Cairo had been dealing with the fear of messing up and losing people for years. Dimitri telling him once that he didn't have to worry about doing something wrong wasn't going to magically make Cairo relax.

"How did you sleep this time around?" Dimitri asked, wanting to redirect Cairo's focus. "No dreams?"

"Good, no dreams," Cairo confirmed. He shifted, as much as he really enjoyed having Dimitri's arm around him, he needed to get up. "I have to pee".

Dimitri moved his arm and Cairo stood up from the bed. He took a few seconds to stretch before making his way to the bathroom. Once the bathroom door was closed, Dimitri figured he should get up too. He climbed out of the bed, stretched, and returned to his bedroom. His phone was resting on his nightstand, and when he picked it up, the screen lit up with multiple text messages and missed calls from Seven. Dimitri frowned and walked into his bathroom, preparing to brush his teeth. He decided to call Seven before he did so because he was worried something had happened.

"It's about time you answered!" Seven stated as soon as he answered Dimitri's call. "I was about to haul Fionn into the car and drive to your place. What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Cairo texted Fionn last night, something about being with you and something bad happening, he said he was fine though. What happened?"

Dimitri heaved in a breath before letting it go in one big 'woosh'. "We found a dead body while we were walking to the car after we'd left the club".

"Shit, really? Did it look bad?"

"Very bad," Dimitri confirmed, "multiple deep gashes, a broken arm, and a slit throat. Cairo saw it before I did, so I couldn't stop him from seeing it".

"Is he okay?"

"Not really, he cried when we got to my house, and once he'd calmed down and went to sleep, he woke up from a nightmare and then had a panic attack. What he saw is really messing with his head at the moment".

"I can imagine," Seven shook his head a little even though Dimitri couldn't see him. "Fionn's pretty worried, he's flooded his phone with texts and calls, but Cairo hasn't responded yet".

"I'm sure he will soon, he just woke up not too long ago," Dimitri explained. He checked the time on his phone and continued to speak, "I'm going to make him brunch in a minute. I have enough food for four people, you and Fionn should come over. I'm sure Fionn wants to see Cairo in person, and Cairo would probably be happy to see him too".

"Yeah, yeah, okay," Seven liked the sound of Dimitri's idea. "I'll tell Fionn and we'll head over in a few minutes".

"Alright, I'll see you both soon then".

"Alright, bye, Dimitri".

"Bye, Seven".

After hanging up the phone, Dimitri proceeded to brush his teeth and wash his face. He didn't feel like taking his pajamas off and putting on clothes, so he didn't. He walked out of his room and made his way downstairs and into the kitchen. Cairo seemed to not want to change out of his pajamas either because he soon joined Dimitri in the kitchen. He was still dressed in his pajamas and he didn't look like he felt bad about it.

"I looked around in the guest bathroom and found some new toothbrushes... I used one, is that okay?"

"Yup, that's what they're there for, no worries," Dimitri rounded the kitchen island to get to the pantry. "I'm going to make some brunch for us, you can sit in the living room or in here and relax if you'd like".

Cairo didn't move from where he was standing by the kitchen entryway. He watched Dimitri's back as he reached up and grabbed a box of pancake mix.

"Do you like pancakes?" Dimitri asked, turning around to look at Cairo. "What's wrong?"

Dimitri stared at Cairo, looking him over to see if there was something physically wrong. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, Dimitri's shirt was draped over Cairo's torso. Dimitri hadn't really noticed how it was a little too big for Cairo until now. The shorts seemed to fit fine, but Dimitri figured it was because of the drawstring. The man had a fleeting thought that he liked seeing Cairo in his clothes, that he looked good.

"Nothing, I was just going to ask if I could help instead," Cairo answered, wringing his hands together unconsciously.

"Yeah, of course," Dimitri replied, "come on over, do you want to make the pancakes?"

Cairo smiled and joined Dimitri behind the island, "yeah, I'll make the pancakes".

"Okay, you'll have to make enough for four people".

Cairo paused, "Dimitri, how did you graduate from the police academy if you can't count?"

Dimitri laughed in surprise, "excuse you, I can count. Fionn and Seven are on their way over, they'll be joining us".

"Oh, okay," Cairo grinned, "I was worried for a minute".

"You've got jokes, I see".

"That was okay, right? Like I didn't hurt your feelings?"

Dimitri chuckled, "no, Cairo, you didn't hurt my feelings. It was okay".

"Okay, good," Cairo nodded his head a little and began to work on making the pancake batter.

After Dimitri confirmed that Cairo and Fionn ate bacon and eggs, he began to cook them both. The two men cooked in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. There was enough room at the stove for both men to stand side by side and cook. Cairo was humming softly as he meticulously poured the pancake batter onto the pan and flipped the pancakes over when they were ready to be flipped. Dimitri scrambled the eggs and tended to the bacon, and he silently came to the realization how cooking with Cairo felt quite domestic. It didn't bother him, he actually really liked it. With Cairo wearing his clothes and standing beside him as they both cooked, Dimitri figured it was something he could really get used to.

The doorbell rang and Cairo turned his head to look at Dimitri, "can I answer it?"

"Sure," Dimitri answered, he decided to quickly add on to his answer, "check the peephole first".

"Okay".

Cairo left the kitchen to answer the door, he peered into the peephole and when he saw two familiar people, he unlocked and opened the door. Fionn was on him before he could even get the door opened all of the way.

"Seven told me what happened, are you alright?" He asked as he hugged Cairo tightly.

Cairo nodded his head and hugged Fionn back. "I'm okay, I was shaken at first, and the whole panic attack thing happened, but... I'm okay now. Dimitri thinks I should talk to a therapist about what I saw, which I think I'll do".

Fionn took a step back once the hug had come to an end. "That sounds like a good idea".

Cairo noticed the bag in Fionn's hand and pointed to it, "what's that?"

"It's a bag with some clothes in it, I had Seven swing by the apartment".

"Thank you," Cairo took the bag from Fionn since he was now holding it out for him. Cairo planned to place the bag on the bottom step of Dimitri's stairs so he would see it when he went back upstairs. He wasn't really ready to get dressed yet, and if it was because he was really enjoying wearing Dimitri's clothes then no one had to know except for himself.

Seven caught Cairo's attention when he closed and locked the front door, Cairo smiled a bit, "hello, Seven".

"Hi, Cairo, good morning," Seven greeted, "I'm sorry about what happened".

"It's okay," Cairo shook his head a little, "I'm okay. You guys are just in time, Dimitri and I are just finishing up cooking brunch".

He lead them into the kitchen and Dimitri looked up from where he was plating the food onto four different plates. "Hey guys, good morning".

"Good morning," Fionn took a seat at the breakfast bar that was connected to the island and Seven did the same.

Dimitri placed a plate of food in front of each of them, "how was your night?"

"Oh, it was great, mate".

"Is that why you've got a hickey on your neck?"

Cairo almost spilled the orange juice he was pouring when he heard Dimitri's question. His eyes found Fionn's neck as the redhead gasped and hit Seven's shoulder. "You told me it wasn't that noticeable!"

"Well I thought it wasn't," Seven chuckled.

"I talked to my neighbor this morning, she's an old lady".

"Oh, Mrs. Miller isn't going to let you live that down, Fionn," Cairo laughed. "Every time she sees you she's going to ask about it".

"Gee, I can't wait for that," Fionn replied, his voice thick with sarcasm.

Dimitri smirked and Seven rolled his eyes because he knew his friend was going to tease him.

"So you just got rid of your reservations that fast, huh?"

"Dimitri, shut up".

"Reservations?" Fionn asked, picking up his fork.

"He was worried about how you'd treat him when you found out he made good money. He's long since changed his mind though apparently".

Seven looked at Fionn warily, he was afraid Fionn would get offended by Seven thinking he'd only want him for his money. They were getting along really well, and yeah, they had literally just met, but Seven wanted to see where things went with Fionn. Fionn shrugged and stuffed his mouth with a forkful of pancakes. After he had finished chewing and swallowing his food, he spoke. 

"I don't blame you honestly, I think the same thing about people when it comes to me. That's why I don't tell everyone that I have a trust fund loaded with cash. People change when money gets involved".

Cairo set down glasses of orange juice in front of Seven and Fionn, and he placed two more where he and Dimitri were going to sit. Cairo took a seat and Dimitri placed a plate of food in front of him before sitting beside him with his own.

"Enough about us," Fionn pointed his fork at Cairo and Dimitri, "what happened with you two?"

"Nothing," Cairo shrugged his shoulders. "We had a pretty eventful night, the last thing on our mind was getting down and dirty".

"You mean to tell me absolutely nothing happened? No kissing or anything?"

Cairo blushed and ate some of his eggs. He sipped some of his orange juice afterwards in order to save him some time. "Well, uh... Kissing happened, yeah".

Seven suddenly let out a heavy sigh while Fionn cheered. "I win, you owe me".

"Yeah, yeah," Seven shifted and reached into his back pants pocket to grab his wallet.

"Did you bet on us?" Dimitri asked curiously.

"Yeah, just as a little friendly thing, nothing serious. It was only for five dollars. Fionn bet that you two would kiss last night, and I didn't," Seven explained.

"Why didn't you think we'd kiss?"

"Did you think you'd kiss?"

Dimitri chuckled, "no". He looked at Cairo and wasn't surprised when he saw the worried look on the younger man's face. "I'm glad we did though".

That was all Cairo needed to hear to relax. He looked at Fionn and quirked an eyebrow, "why did you think we would?"

"I know how you get after two or three drinks, Cairo," Fionn smiled. "I figured it was going to happen".

Cairo shook his head a little, though he wasn't angry. He was happy to hear Dimitri was glad they'd kissed.

The four men continued to eat their brunch and make small talk. After they had finished eating, Cairo figured it would be a good time to go upstairs and get changed into the clothes Fionn had brought him. He announced where he was going and once they were sure Cairo was up the stairs and couldn't hear them, Seven, Dimitri, and Fionn started talking.

"Do you know anything about the second murder?" Seven asked. 

Dimitri shook his head, "I don't know much, I just know the victim was another Black male. I don't know a name or an exact age. I'm sure I'll learn it when I go into work".

"I hate that Cairo found him first," Fionn murmured.

"Me too," Dimitri agreed, "he was really shaken up about it. I heard him telling you both about the therapy session I suggested to him".

"Yeah, he said he's willing to go, which is good".

"He's worried about the cost, I said I'd get him in contact with a therapist that offers a sliding-scale pay system".

"I'll pay for it," Fionn stated, he shrugged his shoulders. "I know he won't want me to, but when it comes to something like this? Something like therapy? It doesn't matter what he wants".

"Yeah, and I offered to pay it myself too if the price comes out to be too much for him to afford after the income adjustment. He didn't like that offer at all, of course. Would you want to split the cost between the both of us?"

"Cairo would flip his shit if he found out two people were covering his therapy expenses".

"I would," Cairo agreed as he walked back into the kitchen.

Seven chuckled because Dimitri and Fionn had been caught, the two oblivious to the fact that Cairo would be returning to the kitchen soon.

Fionn sighed, "we just care, you know that".

"I do, and I appreciate it," Cairo replied, "you both are very nice".

Cairo knew that if he wasn't able to pay for his therapy session, either Dimitri or Fionn would. Both men seemed to be determined to get Cairo a therapy session without it hurting his bank account. Cairo had money, he wasn't broke, he just didn't have much to spare for a therapy session. Cairo didn't get paid as much as he liked by working at the pet store, but it was enough for him to be able to pay his half of rent and to have just a little extra for whatever he'd like to spend it on, like groceries.

"Thank you for brunch, Dimitri," Cairo said, Fionn nodded his head, showing his thanks as well.

Dimitri looked at Seven, but the man simply shrugged his shoulders, "I expect you to feed me whenever I'm here".

Dimitri laughed, "of course".

"How long have you guys known each other?" Fionn asked curiously.

"Since we were born", Seven smiled, "our moms were good friends, they still are".

Cairo cooed, "that's cute".

"It's been a long twenty-six years with Seven, very eventful," Dimitri stated.

"Do you guys have siblings then?" Fionn asked, he enjoyed hearing about Seven's life.

"I have twin brothers, they're twenty," Dimitri answered, "Aiden and Nathanial".

Seven held up three fingers, "I've got three, a brother who's twenty-four, a sister who's nineteen, and another sister who's seventeen. Jeremiah, Ariana, and Zoey. What about you two? Any siblings?"

Fionn shook his head and smiled, "I'm an only child".

"Oh, I bet you enjoyed that," Dimitri laughed. "I remember when I was younger I sometimes wished I was an only child".

Seven nodded his head in agreement, "did you ever get lonely though?"

"Honestly? Not at all," Fionn shrugged his shoulders, "I lived on a farm. I was pretty entertained with all of the animals. They kept me company, and I still had plenty of friends at school".

Dimitri looked towards Cairo and noticed how down he looked, "Cairo?"

"I have two siblings, my sister's name is Amaya, she's sixteen. My brother's name is Miles, he's twelve. I don't really have the best relationship with them".

"How come?" Seven asked quietly.

"I moved away and it just kind of ruined things".

"I'm sorry to hear that".

"It's alright, it is what it is, you know?" Cairo smiled weakly. "I have to get ready to go, I have an afternoon shift at the pet store today".

"Oh, shit," Fionn cursed as he quickly stood up, "I have stuff to do for school. I procrastinated way too much this week and now I need to get shit done".

Seven chuckled at Fionn's words, "I'm glad I don't have to deal with college anymore".

Fionn lightly punched Seven in the arm, "shut up".

Dimitri stood up and so did Seven and Cairo. Dimitri walked them all to the front door and Seven and Fionn were the first to step outside. Cairo stayed back with Dimitri in the foyer because he wanted to thank the man one last time before he left.

"Thank you again for letting me stay over, and helping me through my panic attack. Oh, and also for the brunch. It was all very generous of you".

"You're welcome, Cairo," Dimitri replied, "I had a good time with you at the club".

"Me too," Cairo made sure he had everything that belonged to him before stepping towards the front door. "I'll see you soon".

Dimitri wanted to kiss Cairo before he left, so he did. Cairo moved closer to Dimitri and the two shared a kiss similar to the one in the club. Dimitri carefully ran his tongue along Cairo's bottom lip, it was his way of asking for permission. Cairo accepted the request and parted his lips, allowing for Dimitri's tongue to blanket his own. The kiss lasted for about a minute or so before an abrupt wolf whistle was heard.

"Break it up you two, my God," Fionn teased.

"I think it was a bad idea for us to introduce our friends to each other," Cairo said as he began to blush. He could hear Seven laughing and it only made him more embarrassed.

"You're telling me," Dimitri replied, "it was an absolutely terrible idea".

Cairo managed to laugh a little, he patted Dimitri's chest and said, "I'll see you later", before giving him a quick peck on the lips.

Dimitri watched him walk out of the house and down the walkway with Fionn.

"Don't say anything when we get in the car, Fionn," Cairo demanded. He knew his demands weren't going to be met. He was already well aware that his friend was preparing to tease him anyway.

"Okay," Fionn grinned, "I'll wait until we get home".


	10. Chapter Ten

The second murder victim was a twenty-one year old, Black male. He'd been dead for approximately thirty minutes before Dimitri and Cairo had stumbled upon him. From what Dimitri had been told, Captain Hutchinson was ruling the murder as a potential hate crime. With the gay club being so close to the murder scene, it looked to be that way. Hearing his captain claim the murder to be a potential hate crime caused Dimitri's stomach to churn. If himself, Seven, Fionn, or Cairo had left the club just thirty minutes earlier than it could've been one of them who had been murdered instead.

Dimitri always had a hard time understanding how someone could feel so threatened by a person of the LGBTQ plus community that they felt the need to resort to violence. His confusion began in high school when he would listen to the boys in the locker room gloat about how they would knock a guy out if he looked at them for too long. Their statements were always one sided too. Gay men were a problem for them, but never lesbian women. It was a double standard that annoyed Dimitri to no end.

It took Dimitri a few years to grow comfortable with and accept his sexuality. He remembered in eighth grade how he would cry himself to sleep some nights because he couldn't make his feelings go away. Dimitri tried so hard to like girls, but it just wouldn't click and stay for him. Dimitri envied Seven in high school because his friend was so comfortable with his sexuality. Dimitri had come to terms with being gay while he was in high school, but it took him a few more years to be okay and accept it. Seven made the process easier, he always took it upon himself to tell Dimitri that the other guys in the locker room were wrong about the things they said. Seven would tell Dimitri being gay wasn't wrong, and he didn't deserve to be beaten because of it.

Even though Dimitri had now long since gotten comfortable and accepted his sexuality, he still found himself getting down whenever a person of the LGBTQ plus community was violated due to their sexual orientation. Knowing the second murdered man was a victim of a possible hate crime caused Dimitri to feel defeated. Whenever he got like this, the man's first instinct was to call either his parents or Seven. The latter was at work, so Dimitri knew Seven wouldn't be available to speak on the phone. Instead of calling Seven, Dimitri decided to call his dad, Charles.

"Hey, son," Charles greeted once he had answered the call, Dimitri enjoyed how he sounded happy. "How are you today?"

"Hi, dad," Dimitri responded, "I'm okay. How's mom? And the twins?"

"I'm doing good, and so is your mother. She's picked up another new hobby, you know how she is. This time it's knitting, this lady is busting out scarves left and right. The twins are doing good too, they're both still in college and have jobs, thank God".

With a chuckle, Dimitri replied, "that's great, I'm glad you all are doing good".

Charles hummed softly, "what's wrong, Dimitri?"

"Nothing's wrong," Dimitri lied, "why do you think something's wrong?"

"I can hear it in your voice, Dimitri, I know something is wrong. What's going on?"

Dimitri sighed and rubbed at his forehead for a second or two. He shifted in the driver's seat of his patrol car. The man was taking his break and had found an empty parking lot to park in so he could relax for an hour.

"This man was murdered a few days ago," Dimitri began, "and my captain is labeling it as a possible hate crime because he was murdered not too far from a gay club. I just got to thinking about how it could've been me or one of my friends".

"Oh, Dimitri, I'm sorry," Charles apologized, his voice slowly losing its vigor. The man was a father, and as a father he hated it whenever one of his children were going through a hard time.

"It's okay, I'll be fine in the end. It's just got me wondering why some people have a problem with people like me".

"Not everyone is going to like you, and I know you wish they would, but you just have to remember the people closest to you love you for who you are," Charles explained. "Your mother and I love you, we always have. Aiden and Nathanial love you too, and so does Seven. We all loved you when we thought you were straight, and we all loved you when we knew you were gay".

His father's words made Dimitri feel a bit better. It was reassuring to have his father explain to him that he and Dimitri's mother had always loved him. It was hard for Dimitri to accept his sexuality to begin with, but being Black made it even harder. Dimitri had to deal with the high school locker room talk at school, and when he went home, he had to deal with listening to his aunts and uncles talk down on Black people being gay. To them being both gay and Black was a thing that shouldn't exist.

Dimitri thought it was scary coming out to Seven, but it was absolutely terrifying for him to come out to his parents. Dimitri knew for a very long time that his parents didn't share the same views as their brothers and sisters, but he was still hesitant to come out. Being okay with Black people being gay didn't necessarily always extend to being okay with your son being gay too. Dimitri had finally come out to his parents once he had moved away to college and was financially stable. He figured if his parents didn't approve and disowned him, he would at least already have housing and money of his own.

Charles and Dimitri's mother, Renae, hadn't disowned Dimitri at all, nor did they express any disapproval. They simply told him they loved him and asked Dimitri to come home for a visit whenever he was ready. On the day Dimitri came home, they hugged him and told him it didn't change anything. They loved him regardless of his sexual orientation and it was always going to be that way. Aiden and Nathanial were twelve at the time, but when Dimitri came home for a visit, he sat them down and came out to them too. Dimitri didn't want them to begin to believe any homophobic things they heard while they were attending middle school.

"Thanks, dad," Dimitri responded, "it means a lot to hear you say that".

"Of course, you have people in your corner, and you always will". Charles paused for a moment to think before speaking again, "do you want to talk to your mother about how you're feeling too?"

With a small shake of his head, Dimitri answered his father's question, "oh, no, that's alright. You know how she worries, she'll start sending me care packages in the mail again".

Charles chuckled, "she probably will. Other than the murder, how have you been lately?"

"I've been good, work is going well for me. I still love it, and I know you and mom get concerned sometimes, but I promise, I'm as safe as I can be. I'm on my break right now, that's why I was able to call you. Don't tell mom yet because I know she'll call me and start asking about giving her grandkids, but I, uh... I'm talking to this guy".

"Your secret is safe with me," Charles promised with amusement, he knew how his wife could be when it came to wanting grandkids. "Tell me about him".

"His name's Cairo, he's twenty-two. We've only known each other for a month, so it's nothing super serious... But I can see it becoming that way. I like him a lot, and I think if I ever brought him back to the house for him to meet you guys, whenever that time came... I think you and mom, and the twins would like him. He's really sweet, very kind and caring. He doesn't seem to care that I'm a police officer which I really like".

"You speak very highly of him," Charles said, "if he's truly all that you say he is, then I'm sure your mother and I will love him, the twins too".

Dimitri smiled, "okay". He checked the time and noticed his break was about to be over, "I have to go, dad, my break is going to end in a few minutes. Tell mom I love her, please. I love you".

"Of course, Dimitri, and I love you too," Charles replied, his voice filled with sincerity. "I'll talk to you again soon. Be safe, please".

"I will, bye, dad".

"Bye, Dimitri".

Charles hung up the phone and stared at it for a moment once he'd removed it from beside his ear. The man would never tell Dimitri how scary it was for him to say goodbye once their phone calls were over because he never knew if it would be the last time talking to his eldest son.

As soon as Dimitri had clipped his seatbelt into place and turned his patrol car on, his radio came to life with another officer asking for assistance with a domestic call. After receiving the address, Dimitri picked up the handheld radio, held down the response button, and spoke.

"This is officer Alexander, I'm en route. Are you code four? Over".

"Affirmative, code four for now, over".

Code four was good. Code four meant the officer was okay for now, but to continue en route. Dimitri was familiar with the area in which he was going to. The people who lived in the neighborhood weren't the most well off. The address belonged to a small home that looked to be on its last leg.

Dimitri parked his patrol car behind the one belonging to the other officer. He took a few seconds to survey the area before getting out. He could see Officer Lopez leaning against the driver's door. There were two small children, a boy and girl, playing with one another in the small yard.

"What's going on?" Dimitri asked once he had stepped out of his car and walked up to Officer Lopez.

The Hispanic woman tilted her head to the side and motioned to the backseat of her car. Dimitri peered inside the window, which was rolled down slightly, and noticed the man sitting with his arms cuffed behind his back. He didn't look pleased to be there and he made it known by glaring.

"He has a warrant, but he's the only one home. He's the children's father, the mother left after they were born. Their aunt is on the way to come pick them up now, but she's not close. I want to get him back to the department for booking after he says goodbye to his kids. It's a shame they'll have to go with their aunt".

Before Dimitri could offer a response to Officer Lopez, the man in the car decided he would first. "Fuck you, bitch. My kids don't need your fucking pity".

"Hey, watch how you fucking speak to her," Dimitri warned. "You better be glad she's even letting you say goodbye first. She could've hauled your ass to jail and never given you the chance".

Dimitri's statement caused the man to quiet down. Dimitri looked to Officer Lopez, "I can stay with the kids until their aunt gets here. What're their names?"

"Anna and Thomas," Officer Lopez answered, she moved and opened the back door. "Come on, get out so I can take the cuffs off of you and you can say goodbye".

The man struggled to get out on his own, so Dimitri helped him. Once the handcuffs were off, the two police officers watched him walk to his children.

"Do you think he'll run?" Officer Lopez asked curiously.

"Not if he wants to see his kids soon," Dimitri replied, "I hope he's not dumb enough to run".

The man wasn't, when he was close enough to his children, he simply told them he would be going away for a bit, but that their aunt Sarah would be coming to pick them up shortly. The children were too young to read between the lines and understand what their father was truly saying. They gave him hugs and kisses, and told him to have fun while he was away. It made Dimitri sad having to watch them say goodbye to one another.

The children didn't have their mother, and now they wouldn't have their father either, at least not for a while. Children had always been a soft spot for Dimitri, he absolutely loved them, so he hated it when they were involved in situations such as this one.

The man returned after he had said goodbye, and Officer Lopez handcuffed him for a second time and placed him back in the car.

"Thanks for coming," she said.

Dimitri nodded his head, "of course".

Dimitri watched her get in the car, and once it had disappeared down the road, he approached the children. "Hello, I'm officer Alexander".

"Hi," Anna greeted, she eyed Dimitri warily.

"Hi, I'm Thomas!" Thomas greeted excitedly, "she's Anna".

"It's nice to meet you," Dimitri crouched down so he wasn't looming over the two kids. "I'm going to stay with you until your aunt gets here, okay? Do you want to tell me some stuff about you guys? Like how old you are?"

Thomas smiled, "I'm seven, she's four".

"Seven and four?" Dimitri repeated, feigning wonderment, "wow, you guys are old".

"We aren't!" Thomas laughed, he looked towards Anna to see her reaction, but she didn't have one. "Anna, say something".

"Hey, it's alright," Dimitri reassured, shaking his head a little, "she's alright, she doesn't have to speak if she doesn't want to".

Dimitri could tell Anna wasn't comfortable, and if she didn't want to interact with him, then he wasn't going to force her to.

"My dad says that when she acts like that, she's acting like a B-I-T-C-H," Thomas explained quickly. "I don't know what that is, but my dad always spells it out and says that's what our mom is too". 

Dimitri hid his reaction to what Thomas said very well. He didn't frown or blink in surprise, he just simply shook his head and fixed his features to look serious. It angered Dimitri that Thomas had said such a thing, but the man couldn't blame him. Thomas was only repeating the things he'd learned from his father. Thomas' father had called Officer Lopez a bitch so easily when she hadn't done anything wrong. Dimitri wasn't the least bit surprised that he was calling women a derogatory word in his home as well.

"We don't call women or girls that," Dimitri explained, "we don't call anyone that actually. It's not a nice word, and it shouldn't be said. People don't like to be called that word, and I'm pretty sure your sister feels the same way".

Thomas picked up on Dimitri's tone and realized he had said something wrong. Dimitri wasn't yelling, but his voice was stern.

"I'm sorry, Anna," Thomas apologized, "I didn't know the word was bad".

Anna shrugged her shoulders, but she didn't speak. Dimitri was disappointed to see her response. He had thought Anna was put off by his appearance, but he was beginning to wonder if the little girl was simply always like this due to her father. Dimitri didn't have time to dwell on it because the children's aunt had finally arrived. Dimitri explained to her why her brother had been arrested and once she had Anna and Thomas situated in her car, she was on her way.

Dealing with Anna and Thomas hadn't made Dimitri's day better. He was already having a hard time with the second murder, and now he was having a hard time with Anna and Thomas' living situation. Dimitri couldn't understand how any parent could refer to their child the way Thomas and Anna's father had. Dimitri's home life was good when he was growing up, he never had to deal with his mother or father saying such disrespectful things about one another.

Dimitri had only been in his car for a few seconds when another officer was asking for assistance over the ready. Dimitri was the closest, so he promptly replied by saying he was en route. The man sighed once he was off of the radio and buckled his seat belt. Dimitri had already deemed it as being one of those days where he just came home and crashed on the couch. He felt emotionally exhausted and he hoped the next interaction he had with another person would be a good one, but deep down within himself Dimitri knew it wasn't going to work out that way at all.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Cairo's therapy session was today, and the man was feeling a bit nervous about it. Dimitri had kept his word and found a reliable therapist that offered a sliding-scale pay system. Cairo booked an appointment and made sure to mark his calendar in his phone so he wouldn't forget. Cairo doesn't remember ever going to a therapist before, so this would be his first time. He had no idea what to expect, and it made him uncomfortable and even more anxious.

Cairo was currently tapping his foot against the carpeted floor of the therapy office. His appointment wasn't scheduled for another twenty minutes, but he wanted to get to the office early. Cairo was beginning to regret his decision because he had the reoccurring urge to get up and leave. Cairo figured he should've arrived five minutes before his appointment was scheduled so he wouldn't have time to second guess himself.

"Hey," Dimitri turned his head to look at Cairo from where he was sitting in the chair beside him. He placed a hand on the younger man's thigh to stop Cairo from continuing to tap his foot. "Calm down, yeah?"

Dimitri was able to come with Cairo to his appointment due to him working a day shift that began at six thirty in the morning and ended at two thirty in the afternoon. Cairo requested half of the day off from the pet store, so he only worked the morning hours and left at twelve-thirty in the afternoon.

"Sorry," Cairo apologized, "I didn't even realize I was doing it".

Dimitri squeezed Cairo's thigh gently, "it's okay".

Cairo forced himself to keep still, he had the urge to shift his body away from Dimitri because having the man's hand on his thigh was causing him to begin to think inappropriately. The last thing Cairo needed was a boner while he sat in a therapy office. Cairo picked up Dimitri's hand instead of moving away. He began to fiddle with the older man's fingers and sighed.

"Thank you for coming with me".

"You're welcome, I'm glad I was able to," Dimitri replied, "I got lucky with the shift I had today".

"Oh, how was work?"

"Exhausting, honestly. I had to arrest this man for evading, he ran from me after I pulled him over and asked him to step out of the car. All he would've gotten was a ticket, but since he ran I had to arrest him and now he's either going to receive a misdemeanor or a felony charge. I had to arrest a teenager for shoplifting, it wasn't her first time doing it, so I didn't give her a warning. The shop owners wanted to press charges against her too. I had to arrest a man for passing a stopped school bus as well. Writing all of those reports when I got back to the department wasn't fun at all. Today's just been one of the busier days for me".

Cairo frowned and shook his head, "Dimitri, you could've told me that before you came here. I would've told you not to come and to go home instead to relax".

"I know, that's why I didn't say anything," Dimitri smiled. "I want to be here, Cairo. It's fine. How was work for you? How's Mabel?"

"Mabel's great, she got to stay outside of the cat corner while I was there. She had to go back in once I had to leave, I fed her a treat as a way of saying sorry. Work was good for me, I helped a guy pick out a guinea pig and a girl was looking for the right food for her fish. I cleaned out the bird cages today too".

Dimitri hummed, "sounds like a productive day".

"Not as productive as yours," Cairo stated, "you had a lot happen today".

"I don't see it as a competition, I think as long as you accomplished something then the day was productive".

"You're kind," Cairo smiled, "where'd you learn that from?"

"My mother," Dimitri replied, "my father had a little bit to do with it as well".

Cairo continued to smile, but he didn't speak. He was afraid that if he did, he would bring up his own parents, and that's something he didn't want to do.

"I actually spoke to my dad a few days ago," Dimitri stated offhandedly. "I was upset about the second murder victim, so I talked to him about it. It's a shame the man was murdered at all, but knowing it was a possible hate crime made me even more upset".

"Why?"

"It could've been one of us, I've never really had a murder hit so close to home for me before. I've struggled with accepting my sexuality up until a few years ago. It's just unfortunate that someone would want to kill me over it".

Cairo gripped the older man's hand, "I'm sorry, Dimitri. I know it's a scary thought, but you just have to remember that only a select few are like that. I've struggled with accepting my sexuality for years too, hell, you were the one who helped me finally put a name to it. Why did you have a hard time accepting yourself?"

"I just grew up having to hear toxic locker room talk when I was in high school. I figured out I was gay in the eighth grade, and then going into high school I tried to make it go away. It didn't work, obviously. I also had to hear my aunts and uncles talk about how it wasn't right to be... Um..."

Cairo smiled sadly and finished Dimitri's sentence for him. "Black and gay?"

"Yeah, your family said the same thing too?"

"Not my family, but I've heard my classmates saying it. I went to predominantly Black schools, the kids there thought being gay was something for people who weren't Black. It's something I could just never seem to wrap my head around. I'm happy that at least your parents were supportive of you, right?"

"I was afraid they weren't when I was younger, but I know now that without a doubt my parents are supportive".

Dimitri wanted to ask what it was like for Cairo growing up. How did he manage sorting out his feelings and understanding his sexuality? Who did he have to help him through it? Dimitri couldn't ask; however, because it was time for Cairo's therapy session and a receptionist quietly made it known.

"Are you going to stay and wait for the whole entire hour?" Cairo asked as he stood up from his seat.

"Yeah, I won't go anywhere".

"You don't have to stay, you know?"

Dimitri smiled in hopes to ease Cairo's wary expression off of his face. "I know, but I want to. I don't mind. I'll be here".

"I... Okay, I'll be back in an hour".

Before he left, Cairo pressed a kiss to Dimitri's lips. Cairo's nerves had time to calm down whilst he was speaking with Dimitri, but now that he wasn't with the older man anymore, he was beginning to grow nervous again. Cairo had an idea in his head on what his therapist's room was going to look like, but when he walked in, he was quite surprised. It wasn't dark and dreary, instead it was very calm and relaxing. The walls were painted a soft yellow and there was a pretty white rug blanketing the floor. The one chair in the room looked soft and comfortable, and so did the couch. A small coffee table was situated in the middle of the two furniture pieces, and a corner desk was off to the side not taking up very much space at all. Cairo was pleased to see the room, and he was even more pleased when he noticed a dog resting by the couch.

"A labradoodle," Cairo happily murmured. The man had wondered why he was asked if he liked dogs or not, and if he was allergic when he had to fill out a first-client questionnaire from the therapist. A question about dogs hadn't made sense to him at the time, but now it was clear why the question had been asked.

"That's correct, I'm surprised you know that, most people don't".

Cairo's therapist, Dr. Julia Garcia, smiled from where she was sitting at her desk. She was just gathering her things so she could move to sit in the other chair that occupied the room. She was a short woman at the height of five feet and she had long dark brown hair. If Cairo had to guess, she looked to be Hispanic, but he wasn't completely sure and he didn't want to assume.

"I work at a pet store," Cairo replied, "a couple have come in with their owners before". Cairo shifted his weight from foot to foot because he wasn't completely sure if he could sit yet. "I'm Cairo". 

"It's nice to meet you, Cairo. I'm Dr. Garcia and that's Bella. You can have a seat wherever you'd like".

Cairo crossed the room and sat down on the couch. The man smiled when Bella promptly stood up from where she was laying on the floor to join Cairo on the couch. The dog cuddled in close and Cairo carefully placed his hand on her back and began to rub her.

"Would you like Bella down?" Dr. Garcia asked, "it's fine if you do".

With a quick shake of his head, Cairo answered, "no, thank you, she's fine".

Dr. Garcia smiled and sat down in the chair across from Cairo. "I looked over your questionnaire sheet before you arrived. You answered that you've never had a therapy session before, so I just wanted to briefly explain what's going to happen in this session". Dr. Garcia continued to speak when Cairo nodded his head in understanding. "You'll be sharing what's been occurring in your life, what's bothering you, or if you simply have goals that you're trying to achieve. You can speak freely and openly, and whatever you say stays in this room. Everything you say is confidential, and anything you want, or need to say, is okay".

"Okay... So do I just say why I'm here now or are you supposed to ask me first?"

"You can tell me," Dr. Garcia replied in amusement. "I go off of you, Cairo. You're in control".

"Oh, okay," Cairo tapped his foot nervously. "Well, um... So I saw this dead body a week ago, and my friends thought it would be a good idea for me to speak to someone professionally about it".

"Okay, tell me about how you reacted to seeing the body".

"I cried about it, like a lot. I went to sleep that night and had a nightmare about what happened, and I had a panic attack when I woke up. I'm having a hard time understanding why I had a nightmare and panic attack over the murder if I already cried about it and questioned it".

"So the brain works in interesting ways," Dr. Garcia began, "it's composed up of many different parts. The human mind is very complex, there's the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind. You're aware of things when it comes to your conscious mind, but the subconscious and unconscious mind aren't something your conscious mind really has control over. You know you're sad because you're conscious of it. You've cried over the death, and now you think you're ready to move on, but your subconscious just isn't quite ready yet to do the same. Does that make sense?"

Cairo nodded his head a little, "kind of. I haven't had a panic attack since the last one, which I'm glad about. How do you think I should get my subconscious to move on if I can't control that part of my mind?"

"Talking about it helps, discussing how you're feeling and most importantly why you're feeling a certain way is very beneficial. You can do that with me, and you can even do it with your friends and family as well. Were you alone when you found the body?"

"No, I was with my friend, Dimitri," Cairo answered. "He told me he was upset about it, but he's a police officer, so this hasn't been the first dead body he's seen. I think he's better at handling his emotions over stuff like this due to his job. He did tell me before I was called in that it has been bothering him though. The police captain is calling it a hate crime, so it's bothering him because all of our friends are part of the LGBTQ plus community and it really could've been one of us. I hadn't even thought about that until he mentioned it".

Dr. Garcia hummed, "I can imagine it being a very unsettling thought. If Dimitri is open and willing to discuss it with you, I think continuing to talk to him about your feelings on the murder will benefit you both. Finding the body and being apart of the gay community is something you both have in common. Lending one another an ear has the possibility of being very beneficial".

"I agree," Cairo said, he smiled when Bella nudged his hand with her snout. He had stopped rubbing her and she didn't seem to quite like his decision. "If Dimitri's okay with it, then I'll do that".

"Good, hopefully doing such thing will help".

Dr. Garcia finished off Cairo's session by telling him it was nice speaking to him and that she hoped she had helped Cairo in some way. Cairo said she had and asked if it were alright for him to come back for another session if he ever needed to. Dr. Garcia said of course and walked with him to the waiting room after he had said goodbye to Bella.

Dimitri stood up from his chair when he noticed Cairo had returned. He and Cairo offered Dr. Garcia a another thank you before watching her return to her office.

"How was it?" Dimitri asked as he placed a hand on the small of Cairo's back. He began to lead him to the door.

"It was good, better than I thought it was going to be. I was really nervous at first," Cairo answered. He stopped walking before Dimitri could get him to the door. "Dimitri, I need to pay for my session".

"No, you don't," Dimitri replied. "I paid for it already while you were in your session".

"Dimitri," Cairo scolded, "I told you I didn't want you paying for it".

"I know, but consider it a gift of sorts. You can make it up to me if you want".

"How am I supposed to do that?" Cairo asked as he rolled his eyes in amusement, he already knew Dimitri had something up his sleeve.

"You could come back to mine".

Cairo hid his grin against Dimitri's shoulder as they walked to the older man's car. "You know, if you wanted me to come back to your house, you could've just asked me instead of paying for my therapy session".

With a shrug of his shoulders, Dimitri responded, "you live and you learn".

Shaking his head with a smile, Cairo opened the passenger door of Dimitri's car once they had arrived to it. Dimitri got in on the driver's side and once the two men were buckled in, Dimitri began to drive home. On the way, Cairo talked about his therapy session and the answers Dr. Garcia gave to his questions. He also talked about her advice and Dimitri agreed that it was sound.

When Dimitri and Cairo arrived to Dimitri's house, the first thing they did was take off their shoes and sit on the couch. Dimitri was tired, today had been a heavy day for him. The man never really noticed how tired he was until he was finally sitting still. When Dimitri was constantly moving, he could make himself forget about his tiredness. Once he had no more responsibilities for the day and he was finally sitting down for more than ten minutes; however, he would begin to notice his fatigue.

Cairo noticed Dimitri's demeanor and reached out to twirl one of Dimitri's many dreadlocks around his finger.

"Your hair is quite long," Cairo observed, "I like it".

"Thank you," Dimitri replied, "you've just reminded me that I need to get them retwisted".

"You don't retwist them yourself?"

"I can, but lately I've just been going to a salon that does it for me. I can't be bothered sometimes to do it myself".

"Does the salon charge you a lot?"

Dimitri lifted his hand in a 'so-so' motion, "it's not enough to break the bank".

"I can do it for you," Cairo offered, "whenever you want to retwist them".

Dimitri turned his head to look at Cairo, "you know how to twist dreads?"

"Yeah, I learned when I was younger. One of my aunts was a hair stylist, I used to spend a lot of time at her hair salon after school waiting for one of my parents to pick me up".

"That's neat, you really don't mind?"

Cairo shook his head, "nope, just let me know when you want to retwist them and I'll do it".

"I have this weekend off, would Saturday work?"

"It works for me," Cairo answered.

Dimitri smiled and checked the time by looking at the clock that was sitting on the entertainment system. "What do you want for dinner?"

"I'm staying for dinner?"

"Would you like to?"

"Yeah, of course," Cairo stated, "can we go into the kitchen to see what you've got?"

Dimitri stood up first and helped Cairo to his feet. The men walked into Dimitri's kitchen and began to figure out what they would be making for dinner. There was pasta noodles, and Cairo wasn't opposed to spaghetti if Dimitri wasn't either. The older man wasn't, so that's what they decided to make. Cairo boiled the pasta and Dimitri made the meatballs. The pasta was done first, but the meatballs weren't too far behind, and once the sauce was warmed, Cairo took it upon himself to make plates.

"This is going to taste great," Cairo predicted as he placed the spaghetti onto the dishes.

Dimitri chuckled and filled two glasses with water. "Follow me".

Cairo followed Dimitri back into the living room with the plates in his hand. Dimitri placed the glasses onto the coffee table and took one of the plates from Cairo. He let the younger man sit down first before he did the same. As the two began to eat, Dimitri let Cairo find whatever he wanted to watch on TV. They ate in a comfortable silence, and Dimitri was hit with another thought of how domestic it all felt. He wasn't going to mention it to Cairo yet because he was too afraid of scaring the younger man away.

When they were finished eating, Dimitri took their dirty plates and placed them in the dishwasher. He returned to the couch and when he sat back down, Cairo moved closer to him.

"Can we find a movie to watch?" Cairo asked.

"Sure, I'm fine with whatever".

Dimitri sat back and let Cairo take the reins. He found a movie he thought looked interesting and once the two were settled, they began to watch it. The couch was just big enough so that Dimitri and Cairo could lay side by side, but not by much. In order to be the least bit comfortable, Dimitri and Cairo both had to lay on their sides. Dimitri was in between the back couch cushions and Cairo's body. One of his arms was thrown over Cairo's waist and his head was propped up and resting on his hand. Cairo's head was simply resting on the cushion, but he didn't seem to mind.

Dimitri didn't know how far he got into the movie before his eyes began to grow heavy with sleep. It was beginning to get late, and he was already tired to begin with. He was surprised he had even stayed awake for dinner. He wasn't sure if Cairo was still awake because he couldn't see the younger man's face.

"Cairo," Dimitri whispered, "are you awake?"

When Cairo didn't respond, Dimitri figured he wasn't. The man reached behind him and grabbed the throw blanket he kept on the back of the couch. He did the best he could at making sure it covered both of their bodies. Dimitri hoped Cairo wouldn't wake up in the middle of the night confused as to why he was sleeping on the couch with Dimitri.

Dimitri's hoping had been futile because hours later, Cairo woke up. It was dark in the room, and it took him a few seconds to remember where he was. Cairo hadn't meant to fall asleep, he told himself he would only close his eyes for a few minutes. He could feel Dimitri's body behind him, and once he checked the time, Cairo carefully turned onto his other side so he was facing the other man.

It was too late for Cairo to make his way home, and Dimitri had been the one to drive him there in the first place. Cairo's car was back at his and Fionn's apartment. Cairo couldn't get back home even if he wanted to, so it was a good thing that the younger man didn't want to. Dimitri's breathing was even and smooth, and Cairo was so close that he could feel Dimitri's chest rising and falling. Cairo pressed his head to Dimitri's chest and slowly matched his breathing to Dimitri's.

It wasn't long before Cairo was drifting back to sleep, and even though sleeping on a couch wasn't the most comfortable, Cairo would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant he could be this close to Dimitri.


	12. Chapter Twelve

"Where exactly are you going on this fine Saturday morning?" Fionn asked sleepily, he was rubbing his eyes in hopes of making his vision clearer. He had just woken up, so his eyes were still heavy with sleep.

"To Dimitri's," Cairo answered, "would you like some eggs and a waffle?"

"Oh, yes, please," Fionn smiled, he sat down on the couch and watched Cairo move about the kitchen. "Cheers, mate".

Cairo had woken up early that morning so he would have enough time to take a shower and get dressed, and make himself something to eat for breakfast. Today he would be retwisting Dimitri's dreadlocks for him, and since Dimitri had a lot of them, it would take Cairo some time to twist them all. If Cairo started to twist them in the morning, he should be able to finish by noon.

"What's happening at Dimitri's?"

"I'm twisting his dreads for him, I said I would when I was at his house a couple of days ago".

"The day of your therapy session?"

"Yeah, that's the one".

Fionn had been really concerned for how Cairo's session went. When Dimitri dropped him off at the apartment the day after the session, Fionn had been all ears. The Irish man let Cairo know that if he wanted to talk about how it went, he would listen, and if he didn't want to talk about it, then that was okay too. Cairo talked openly about it because there was no reason for it to be kept a secret. Cairo explained to Fionn how their minds worked, and how Dr. Garcia said he could possibly benefit from continuing to talk to Dimitri about how he was feeling.

"Can you do me a favor and come pour us some glasses of orange juice, please?"

"Sure thing".

Fionn hopped up from where he was sitting and walked into the kitchen. As he was passing Cairo to get to the refrigerator, the younger man looked at him for the first time that morning. Fionn wasn't wearing a shirt, so Cairo could see the dark blemishes on the man's chest.

"So I see you've told Seven to keep the hickeys to beneath your neck," Cairo teased. "Does he have a thing for hickeys?"

Fionn snorted out a laugh, "you have no idea, Cairo".

"I know I make jokes sometimes about how you two should never have been introduced to one another," Cairo began, "but I really am happy that you two are getting along so well. It's nice to see you with someone who's so up your alley".

"Thank you, Cairo, that means a lot," Fionn smiled. "I like seeing you with Dimitri".

"I know you do, you make it known all of the time".

"It's just good to see you with someone, I've never seen you with anyone before. Dimitri seems to be a really good guy, and I can tell that you're trying your best to not mess anything up when it comes to him".

"I'm trying so hard," Cairo confessed, "like I remember waking up in the same bed as Dimitri for the first time. It was after he had helped me with my panic attack, and I thought I was going to have another one because I was so fucking close to him. I told him I was afraid of messing up, and he told me that I couldn't with him. I just get so nervous because I really want him to like me, Fionn".

"Cairo, he does," Fionn reassured, "Seven tells me he mentions you every single time the two talk on the phone. I know it's scary, to let someone in, but sometimes it can be really worth it. I think it'll be worth it if you let Dimitri in".

Cairo shook his head, "you and Seven make it look so easy. I'm happy for you, I really am, but I'm also jealous too. When you and Seven met face to face for the first time, it just clicked for you both. You took it and ran, and it's been working great for you guys".

"My mom used to tell me this saying, she would tell me 'comparison is the thief of joy'. Don't compare how things are going with me and Seven to how things are going with you and Dimitri. You're never going to be happy if you continue to do that. It clicked for you and Dimitri the first time you saw each other too, it just clicked in a different way, and that's okay. Me and Seven are more fast paced while you and Dimitri aren't, different things work better for different people".

"You're right, I'm sorry for saying I was jealous".

"You don't need to apologize, Cairo. I'm not mad that you're jealous, I'm actually sad about it. What you and Dimitri have is just as great as what me and Seven have. Me and Seven aren't better because we've fucked more. Sex doesn't make a relationship better, you know that, yeah? You don't have to have sex in order to make a relationship work. Do you feel pressured to have sex?"

Shaking his head quickly, Cairo responded, "no, not really". Cairo paused and hesitated a bit, "I mean, a little, but I'm not pressured by Dimitri. It's just me thinking about it and stuff. I think it's what Dimitri wants".

"Have you asked him? He might not have even thought about it, Cairo, you never know until you ask".

"What if sex is important to him?"

"Then it is, I mean personally I think sex is pretty great".

Cairo laughed a little in both surprise and amusement at Fionn's words. "I know, you've made it very clear".

"If you don't think sex is important and you think Dimitri does, then maybe you and Dimitri aren't compatible..."

"I do think sex is important, I'm just nervous to do anything with him".

Fionn nodded his head in understanding, "okay, then just let it happen naturally. If things lead to sexual stuff, and you're ready for it and so is Dimitri, just let it happen. See where it goes, have fun with it. Don't stress, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Cairo smiled weakly, "I'll try".

"I'm still going to tease you about it when it happens," Fionn grinned, "by the way".

Fionn's statement got an actual laugh out of Cairo, "of course, it wouldn't be like you if you didn't".

Fionn motioned to the two plates of food, "here, let's start eating. I'm sure you need to get going soon".

Cairo and Fionn sat in the living room and ate their breakfast. The two made small talk and once they were done, Cairo headed out. The younger man arrived at Dimitri's house just a little before ten in the morning. He rang the doorbell and waited for Dimitri to come and let him in. When ten minutes passed, Cairo pulled out his phone and texted Dimitri. He tried ringing the doorbell again, but once a few more minutes went by without the door opening, he figured he should just go back to his apartment. Just as he was beginning to turn around and head to his car, the front door opened.

"Hey, Cairo, good morning," Dimitri rushed out. Just like Fionn had done, Dimitri was rubbing at his eyes. "I'm sorry for not answering the first time, I overslept".

Cairo stared at Dimitri from where he was standing on the front porch. Cairo could see the waistband of Dimitri's boxers due to the low hanging pajama pants he was wearing, and he could see all of the man's upper torso because he wasn't wearing a shirt. Cairo had always known Dimitri was fit. It was evident whenever Dimitri was wearing clothes, so it was no surprise to Cairo when he finally saw what was beneath the fabric. Cairo took the time to count and admire Dimitri's six pack, as he was doing so, Dimitri spoke again but Cairo wasn't paying attention.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Cairo asked, moving his eyes up to meet Dimitri's. "I wasn't... I wasn't paying attention".

Dimitri smirked and nodded his head, "I know, I asked if you would like to come in".

Cairo cleared his throat and ignored the way his cheeks were warming in embarrassment, "I would, thank you. Did you have to work a shift last night?"

"I did, ten thirty at night to six thirty in the morning".

Cairo closed and locked the front door behind him once he had entered the home. "Wow, you must be tired then. I can come back later?"

"No, you're fine. I washed my hair yesterday, just let me take a shower and get ready real quick, yeah?"

"Yeah, sure, no problem".

"Make yourself at home".

Removing his shoes, Cairo nodded his head and walked into the living room while Dimitri jogged up the stairs. Cairo found something to watch on TV as he took a seat on the couch. He thought back to the night he and Dimitri slept together on the couch. That morning Cairo had awoken first, and he removed himself before Dimitri could wake. Cairo would've stayed where he was, he was quite comfortable being laid so close to Dimitri, but he was too nervous of Dimitri's reaction to do so.

Cairo thought about the talk he and Fionn had, and he made a promise to himself that the next time he woke up so close to Dimitri again, he wasn't going to move away. Cairo wanted what Seven and Fionn had, but he wanted it in a way that was perfect for him and Dimitri. It was going to be hard, what with Cairo's nerves and all, but the younger man was going to try his best. Dimitri saw something in him, and Cairo didn't want Dimitri to get bored with him any time soon.

When Dimitri returned downstairs, Cairo smiled. The man was now dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. In his hands was a container of hair clips and locking gel. Setting both items on the coffee table, Dimitri moved the table closer to the couch and off to the side so Cairo would be able to reach them easier. Dimitri grabbed a pillow and placed it on the floor in front of where Cairo was sitting on the couch. Once he was seated too, Dimitri spoke.

"Thank you again for doing this for me".

"You're welcome," Cairo replied, he picked up the tub of locking gel and unscrewed the top.

Cairo placed his hands on either side of Dimitri's head and gently tilted his head down so he could begin at the nape of his neck. Cairo used a few pins to pin up Dimitri's dreadlocks so they wouldn't be in the way. The next thing he did was collect a bit of locking gel onto his fingers and begin to retwist one of Dimitri's dreads. Cairo's hands did what his aunt taught him all those years ago, and he was pleased with himself with how well he seemed to remember the process.

"How was work last night?" Cairo asked quietly.

"It was good, I only made one arrest last night. A woman was driving drunk and she absolutely bombed the field sobriety test, Cairo. I tried to give her the benefit of down and see if she could pass, but I knew she wasn't going to be able to. She blew double the legal limit. Double".

"That's ridiculous".

"I know, it makes me upset when people drive drunk because they really don't take into consideration how dangerous it is".

"Yeah, I understand. It's scary what too much alcohol can do to a person, like they'll know drinking and driving is bad when they're sober, but once they're drunk... They just don't seem to think twice about getting behind the wheel".

Cairo clipped down Dimitri's dread so it wouldn't untwist on him. As he moved onto the next one, he took notice of something.

"Your hair is really well taken care of," Cairo complimented, "it's very healthy".

"Thank you, I make sure to keep it that way".

"How long have you had your hair locked?"

"For thirteen years, I decided to do dreadlocks when I was thirteen. My dad had dreadlocks and I thought they were the coolest thing. My parents let me lock my hair when I proved to them that I was serious about keeping my hair healthy and clean".

Cairo smiled, "your parents sound cool".

Dimitri chuckled, "I'd like to think they are".

Dimitri bit his lip lightly and contemplated if he wanted to ask Cairo the question that was on the tip of his tongue. He decided to bite the bullet and see what would happen. He hoped the response he received wasn't a bad one.

"Can I ask about your parents? I don't think you've mentioned them once since we've met".

Cairo paused and hesitated. Cairo didn't want to talk about his parents. It was a sore subject for him, and he would much rather pretend like they never existed. Dimitri was asking about them though, and the last thing Cairo wanted to do was lie to him. Cairo thought back to what Fionn told him, about how he should let Dimitri in. Telling Dimitri about his parents would be a step in the right direction.

"My parents and I aren't close," Cairo began, "that's why I haven't mentioned them. We don't talk anymore, not after I moved away. We fell out of touch and I haven't spoken to them in years".

Dimitri stared down into his lap and processed what he had been told. "I'm sorry".

"It's okay, I've slowly but surely gotten used to their absence. There are some days where I think about them, and I get sad, but I haven't had one of those days in a while".

"What do you do for the holidays?"

"What do you mean?"

"Who do you spend them with?"

"Well I've spent some of them with Fionn and his family. I've gone back to Ireland with him on some occasions, but not all. I feel like I'm imposing sometimes, so I try not to go with him on every holiday. If I'm not spending the holiday with Fionn and his parents, then I'm just alone".

"Have you ever spent Christmas alone?"

"Only once," Cairo answered truthfully, "Fionn invited me to Ireland with him, but I declined. I lied and said I was going back to my home state to spend it with my family. Once he left for the airport and boarded the plane, I went back to the apartment and spent the holiday alone. I didn't think it entirely through because when Fionn arrived back to the apartment, he found it pretty hard to believe that I had no pictures or gifts proving that I had actually been back to my parents' house. He was pissed I lied to him about it. He hated that I spent Christmas alone".

Dimitri was big on spending time with family, especially on holidays. He came from a very tight knit family that cared deeply about one another. It made Dimitri sad to hear Cairo wasn't close with his family, that he spent holidays alone sometimes. Dimitri couldn't imagine how he would feel if he missed Christmas with his own family. Oftentimes Dimitri had to work on Christmas Day, but the man always managed to make it back home to his parents' house regardless of his hours.

"Are you okay?" Cairo asked.

"You're asking me if I'm okay? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine".

"Listen, I know we haven't known each other for that long, but if we make it to Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'd want you to come with me to my parents' house".

"Dimitri, I'm not telling you a sob story to make you feel bad and have you feel inclined to invite me to your parents' house".

"No, I know that, Cairo. I'm the one who asked about your parents, I know you're not telling me about them to make me pity you. I would want you to meet my parents, and the holidays would be the perfect opportunity for that".

Cairo sighed, "okay, as long as it's not a pity thing. I could meet the twins? Aiden and Nathanial?"

Dimitri hummed in approval, "you could, they'd both really like you, I'm sure of it".

"I hope they do, I want to make a good impression".

Cairo allowed for Dimitri to lift his head, as the two were talking, Cairo had been continuing to twist Dimitri's hair. Cairo was surprised to find that he felt a bit relieved by talking about his relationship with his parents. Letting Dimitri in and telling him things about his life was scary, but it was kind of rewarding at the same time The two men continued to make small talk as Cairo worked on Dimitri's dreadlocks. Cairo knew the retwisting process was going to take time, but he was happy he had the time to talk with Dimitri.

Cairo was officially done twisting Dimitri's hair by the time lunch time rolled around. With all of his dreads pinned down, Dimitri walked to his bathroom with Cairo behind him. Cairo plugged in the hairdryer that was resting on the bathroom counter and motioned for Dimitri to bend down.

"You're too tall," Cairo stated.

Dimitri chuckled, "sorry".

Cairo concentrated on blowdrying Dimitri's hair to ensure that his dreadlocks were dry. Having them air dry wasn't the best option. Once Cairo was done using the hairdryer, he took out all of the clips holding Dimitri's dreads and dropped them all back into their container. Dimitri stood up straight and admired Cairo's work.

"They look really good, Cairo," Dimitri complimented, "thank you".

Cairo smiled, "you're welcome, and thank you, that's kind of you to say".

"How much do I owe you?"

Cairo laughed in surprise before he could stop himself, "I'm not charging you, Dimitri. I'm not taking your money".

"How else can I repay you then?"

Humming softly, Cairo smiled when he figured out what his answer was going to be. He looked at Dimitri through the mirror and rested his head on the man's shoulder. "You can give me a kiss, please".

Dimitri grinned and turned his body so he was facing Cairo. When the younger man was facing him too, Dimitri kissed him. Cairo kissed back, and this time Dimitri didn't have to ask for permission to deepen the kiss. Cairo parted his lips and Dimitri took it for what it was, an invitation. Cairo wasn't sure if Dimitri could tell that this kiss was different from the others, but he hoped he did. Dimitri seemed to pick up on the difference, and Cairo was thankful because he wasn't sure that he had the confidence to point it out to Dimitri.

If Cairo could be wringing his hands together right now, he would. He was so nervous, but he wanted to jump over this hurdle. He figured that if he could take it to the next level with Dimitri, then it would help build his confidence some.

"Lift me up onto the counter," Cairo murmured, taking the time to catch his breath. "Um... Please. Please, lift me up onto the counter".

Dimitri chuckled, "so polite". He gripped Cairo's waist and easily lifted the younger man. Cairo was resting on the edge and so he spread open his legs and pulled Dimitri closer to him so the older man was standing in between them.

"Thank you".

Dimitri wasn't sure if Cairo was thanking him for doing what was requested of him or because he had given Cairo a compliment. He didn't have time to dwell on it because Cairo was kissing him again. Dimitri had no idea what was happening, but he liked it. He was slightly concerned due to this not being like Cairo at all, but he wasn't going to question it yet.

Cairo could feel himself growing in his pants, and he lifted his right hand to find Dimitri's left. Cairo gave a fleeting prayer to God that what he was about to do wasn't going to backfire on him. Cairo gripped Dimitri's left hand and guided it to his crotch, moaning softly when Dimitri got the hint and palmed his thickening cock through his pants.

"What's happening?" Dimitri asked against Cairo's skin. He had moved to pepper kisses along Cairo's jaw because he needed to catch his breath and figure out what the hell was going on. "I like it... I just, I don't... I don't know what's happening right now".

With a fuzzy mind, Cairo breathed out, "I don't know either, but I'm just letting it happen".

It was what Fionn had told him to do that morning.

"Okay," Dimitri responded. He went back to kissing along Cairo's skin and stopped at just beneath his ear when the younger man moaned. It turned Dimitri on, the noises Cairo would make. He wasn't sure if Cairo was even aware that he was making them. Cairo wasn't overly loud, but he was audible, and it drove Dimitri to see what he could do to make him produce more noise.

Cairo closed his eyes and concentrated on the feeling of Dimitri touching him. It wasn't skin to skin, but Dimitri's hand continuing to palm him through his pants was enough for Cairo to feel good. Dimitri was also kissing his neck, and Cairo had never realized how much he liked his neck being kissed.

"Dimitri," Cairo gasped, he felt his cock twitch under the pressure of Dimitri's hand. "I'm-" Cairo cut himself off with another moan, "I'm going to come".

The sudden ringing of the doorbell caught both Cairo and Dimitri's attention. Dimitri halted all movement and Cairo groaned weakly. His fingers curled around Dimitri's wrist and he moved his head back some in order to peer into Dimitri's eyes.

"Ignore it, please, don't stop".

Dimitri wasn't dumb. The man wasn't sure when the next time he'd have Cairo pleading for him not to stop, so he wasn't going to pass on the opportunity. The man wasn't expecting anyone at his house anyway, so whoever it was wasn't that important. The ringing of the doorbell continued, but so did Dimitri's movements. He went back to touching Cairo through his pants and kissing along the younger man's neck.

Cairo was right there again before he knew it. If Dimitri kept doing what he was doing then he was going to climax in the next few minutes. Cairo's grip on Dimitri's wrist tightened and his eyes rolled back at the pleasurable feeling he was experiencing. Dimitri wanted to comment on how absolutely beautiful Cairo looked when he was like this, but the incessant ringing of the doorbell was distracting him. Dimitri turned his head to peer into his bedroom, wondering who the hell was at his door.

Multiple things happened in the next few seconds. Cairo spoke again, but Dimitri missed it because the incessant ringing of the doorbell had now been replaced with knocking. Dimitri could feel the tensing of Cairo's body, and he could see it out of the corner of his eye as well. He thought it was due to the loud knocking, but when he turned his head back to Cairo, he realized it was for an entirely different reason instead. Cairo was coming.

"Fuck," Dimitri swore, he leaned in and kissed Cairo deeply. Cairo groaned into Dimitri's mouth as he came in his pants. The younger man's hips were moving weakly, and Cairo breathed out once his high had peaked and was beginning to ebb away. Dimitri didn't know what to say once Cairo's eyes were open and staring into his own, so he didn't say anything at all. It was Cairo who spoke first.

"Someone is at your door," he whispered, "I think you should go and answer it".

"Yeah..." Dimitri sounded dazed and he wasn't even the one who had just experienced a climax. "Okay".

Walking out of the bathroom, Dimitri adjusted his erection in his sweatpants so it wouldn't be noticeable. There was no one scheduled to come to his house today except for Cairo, so Dimitri hadn't a clue who was going to be standing on his porch and why. The man was so out of it that he failed to peer through the peephole. Instead, he simply unlocked the front door and swung it open. The last two people he expected to see were Seven and Fionn. The two men grinned at Dimitri and held up take-out bags.

They both spoke at the same time, "we brought lunch".


	13. Chapter Thirteen

"What're you guys doing here?"

Dimitri stared at Fionn and Seven in surprise. He had no idea why they were standing on his front porch. He hadn't planned for them to come over, so he was confused as to why they were suddenly there.

"We brought lunch, we just said that," Seven explained, he furrowed his eyebrows. "What's the matter with you? Why do you look like that?"

"No reason," Dimitri lied.

It was quiet for a moment as the three men shared glances. Fionn scratched at his neck, and cleared his throat, "may we come in, mate?"

"Oh, uh... Yeah, sure".

Moving to the side, Dimitri allowed for Seven and Fionn to step into the house. He closed and locked the door behind them. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out before motioning to the kitchen. "You can take the food into the kitchen".

"Okay".

Fionn led the way to the kitchen and Dimitri proceeded to take out plates. Seven watched his friend closely and looked him over. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, but Seven could tell something was going on with Dimitri, he just didn't know exactly what it was.

"Your hair looks good," Seven complimented.

"Thank you, Cairo did do a really good job".

"Speaking of Cairo, where is he?" Fionn asked curiously.

"He's upstairs, he was blowdrying my hair".

"Oh, so that's why it took you so long to answer the door then? You guys couldn't hear the doorbell and the knocking over the hairdryer," Fionn explained. "That makes sense, Seven was just about to use his spare key. We were beginning to think you guys were hurt or something".

Dimitri nodded his head a little, "yeah... That's exactly what happened".

Seven and Dimitri had both given one another spare keys to their homes. It was only to be used for emergencies, and both men were very good at following that rule. Whenever Seven paid a visit to Dimitri's home, the man usually always answered the door in a timely manner. Dimitri could understand how Seven would begin to worry about his wellbeing once he had been standing on the porch for more than five minutes. Dimitri gave a fleeting thought of how terrible it would have been if Seven and Fionn had let themselves into his house while he was too busy upstairs making Cairo come in his pants.

"I'm going to check on Cairo," Dimitri stated, "I'll be right back".

Dimitri left the kitchen and returned upstairs before Seven or Fionn could say anything to him. When Dimitri walked into his room, he noticed the bathroom door was now shut. He could hear Cairo on the other side of the door, he was talking to himself. Dimitri couldn't make out what exactly he was saying; however, because Cairo was speaking too low.

"Cairo," Dimitri knocked on the door, "are you okay?"

Cairo opened the bathroom door just enough so he could peer out and look at Dimitri. He blushed when he made eye contact with the older man.

"I'm fine, this so awkward, but... Um... Could I borrow a pair of boxers and sweatpants, please? My boxers are, uh... You know... And I don't want to wear my pants anymore".

With a nod of his head, Dimitri grabbed Cairo a pair of boxers and sweatpants from his dresser. He placed them in Cairo's hand and turned his back to the bathroom door. It wasn't opened all of the way, so Dimitri couldn't see Cairo's body at all, but he still wanted to be polite.

"Can I be honest with you?" Cairo suddenly asked, his voice wavering some.

"Of course, you can".

"I lied when I said I was fine... I'm not fine".

"What's wrong?"

"I'm feeling nervous and scared. I don't know if I messed up because of what I did with you".

"Cairo, we both participated".

"Yeah, but I started it," Cairo replied, he stepped into the boxers Dimitri had given him after he had cleaned himself up. The next thing he did was put on the sweatpants and he tied the drawstring tight. "I don't know if I should've done that. Was what I did okay? Did you like it? You can tell me if you didn't and I won't mind".

"Can I come in?" Dimitri asked, "please".

When Cairo answered with a "yes", Dimitri pushed open the bathroom door and stepped inside. He hated how unsure Cairo looked when the younger man glanced at him. Dimitri knew it had to have been difficult for Cairo to take things to the next level. He didn't want Cairo to regret his decision because there was no need for him to.

"I fucking loved what you did," Dimitri stated. "If I didn't, then I wouldn't have willingly participated. You have no reason to be nervous or scared, okay? If I don't like something you do, I will let you know. You've done nothing wrong".

"Okay," Cairo nodded his head a little and he moved closer to Dimitri. He wrapped his arms around Dimitri and pressed his forehead against the man's chest. Cairo turned his head down some and he looked between he and Dimitri's bodies.

"Dimitri," Cairo said, when the other man hummed in response, he continued to speak, "are you still hard?"

"I am not," Dimitri answered with a chuckle, "answering the door and finding our friends on my porch has turned me off".

"Are they downstairs right now?"

"Yes, they were kind enough to bring us lunch".

"Oh, great," Cairo replied, his voice thick with sarcasm, "how nice of them".

Dimitri smiled and pat Cairo on the back, "I know, we have such great friends".

The two men figured it would be a good idea to head downstairs so Seven and Fionn wouldn't grow suspicious. Walking into the kitchen, Seven and Fionn were sitting at the island. There were four plates in front of them, each holding a hamburger and French fries from the restaurant that wasn't too far from Dimitri's house. Seven and Fionn turned their heads to watch Dimitri and Cairo make their way to the island.

"What happened to the pants that you came in?" Fionn asked Cairo.

Cairo stared at his friend in surprise and wondered how he knew, "excuse me?"

Fionn furrowed his eyebrows, "the pants that you came in. You were wearing different pants when you left the apartment this morning".

"Oh," Cairo said, he blinked and shook his head a little as he took a second to think. "I got them dirty with Dimitri's hair gel, so I asked to borrow a pair of his pants".

Seven looked at Dimitri who was concentrating on adding ketchup to his burger, "you two are acting weird".

Dimitri furrowed his eyebrows, "are we?"

"Yes, Dimitri, you are".

Fionn stared at Cairo and picked up on his mannerisms. Fionn knew when Cairo was trying his best to relax, and it was clear that was what Cairo was currently trying to do. Something happened, and it was either something good or bad. Cairo and Dimitri weren't acting like anything bad had occurred between the two of them. They were sitting close to one another and weren't giving off an uneasy vibe.

Cairo glanced at Fionn and awkwardly cleared his throat, "why are you staring at me?"

Fionn slowly tilted his head to the side and smiled in amusement. "Oh my God".

"What?" Seven asked as he picked up a fry from his plate.

Cairo looked at Fionn and pressed his lips into a thin line when he noticed the growing grin on his friend's face.

"I think they had sex".

Dimitri choked on his bite of food, "we didn't have sex".

"Well you had something. What did you guys do?"

"That is none of your business, Fionn," Cairo said as he crossed his arms over his chest in a petulant manner. He was upset his friend could read him so well.

"That's why you have on different pants, and why it took Dimitri so long to answer the door," Fionn realized. "Oh, Cairo, I didn't think you would act so fast after our talk".

Cairo blushed and hid his face against Dimitri's shoulder, "shut up, Fionn, God".

"I feel like a proud parent, my child is growing up".

"Oh, fuck me," Cairo swore in exasperation.

Seven chuckled, "that's what Dimitri is for, Cairo".

Dimitri rolled his eyes and sent a half hearted glare at his friend, "haha, very funny. You two could probably count on both hands how many times you've had sex in the past month alone. You've been going at it like rabbits".

"I have no shame," Seven shrugged his shoulders and smiled in amusement.

Fionn hummed, "yeah, like Seven does this thing with his-" "We don't need to know!" Dimitri spoke loudly, cutting Fionn off. "We do not need to know what Seven does to make you feel good".

Fionn held both of his hands up in surrender, "fine, fine, I won't say".

Cairo turned his head and picked up a French fry from his plate. "Can we change the subject, please?"

"I will gladly be the one to do that for you," Dimitri stated. "What you have two been up to this morning before you showed up at my house unexpected?"

"Well we haven't done much of anything. I invited Seven over once Cairo left and we just relaxed. It was Seven's idea to bring lunch over here. He invited me to dinner later on in the evening, you two could come if you want".

"I think we'll stay in," Dimitri said, looking to Cairo to see what he thought.

Cairo nodded in agreement, "yeah, it sounds like a date, and we don't want to impose on that. Dimitri and I will pass on this one, but maybe next time".

Seven smiled, "okay".

Dimitri pushed his plate a few inches away from himself due to him being finished with his food. Cairo noticed and asked Dimitri if he was done eating, and when he got a clear confirmation, he reached over and ate the rest of the French fries from the older man's plate.

"You guys are cute," Fionn cooed.

Rolling his eyes, Cairo replied, "I literally just asked if he was done eating so I could have his fries, Fionn".

"I know, but it was still cute".

Cairo wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or shake his head. Both would be done in amusement because Cairo found it a bit funny how much Fionn seemed to enjoy seeing himself and Dimitri interact. Cairo settled for shaking his head and standing up. He collected Dimitri's plate along with his own and carried them to the sink so he could rinse them clean and place them in the dishwasher.

"Thank you for thinking about Dimitri and I, and bringing lunch over, Seven," Cairo said from where he was now leaning against the kitchen counter.

"You're welcome, Cairo," Seven replied. He turned his head and looked at Dimitri, "next time I'll send a text your way so Fionn and I won't be interrupting anything again".

Dimitri rolled his eyes, he knew Seven was only teasing so there was no malice in his voice when he spoke, "that's so kind of you, now get out of my house". He pointed to Fionn who was laughing, "and take this one with you, please".

"Sure thing," Seven chuckled, he stood up and collected his and Fionn's plates. He passed them off to Cairo when he realized the younger man was holding his hands out to take them from him. Cairo said goodbye to Seven and Fionn and stayed in the kitchen to clean off the plates he was given. Dimitri walked Seven and Fionn to the front door, and once they were in Seven's car and driving away, Dimitri returned to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry about them," Dimitri apologized, "for all of the teasing".

Cairo shrugged his shoulders and smiled a little, "it's okay, I understand why they do it. We teased them a bit when we found out they had sex for the first time. I think they just get more of a kick out of it because we're moving slower than they are".

Dimitri nodded because what Cairo said did make sense.

"Which is okay, right?" Cairo asked quietly. He avoided Dimitri's gaze and instead focused on tapping his fingers against the counter.

Dimitri placed his left hand on the small of Cairo's back, "it's okay".

"Because I can like... I can move faster if that's what you want. I don't mi-" "Cairo, I said it's okay," Dimitri reassured.

Cairo nodded his head, "okay, I was just making sure".

"Honestly, I've never moved fast with any of the other relationships I've been in," Dimitri confessed, he continued to speak when Cairo looked at him in surprise. "Which I'm not saying we're in one... Because we never talked about that, but whatever we're doing right now is okay. It's working for me and I would hope that you feel the same way".

"It's working for me too," Cairo confirmed. "Fionn and I had a talk this morning about how I was worried about you thinking we were moving too slow. I'm glad to hear that you don't think we are".

"What made you believe I thought we were moving too slow?"

"It's nothing you did, it's just how my brain works. I just figured since Seven and Fionn were moving so fast that you would want to as well. I'm sorry it sounds weird".

"It doesn't sound weird, it's your honest thoughts, and I like it when you're honest with me, Cairo. I know Seven and Fionn are moving fast, but that just works for them. Seven has always been that way, he's always been fast paced with everything, it's just who he is. We don't have to be like them to make things work for us".

With a sigh, Cairo nodded his head, "you're right, and that's pretty much what Fionn told me this morning. He told me to just go at a pace comfortable for the both of us, and to just let things happen naturally".

"I agree with him, is that why what we did in the bathroom happened? Because of what Fionn said?"

Cairo blushed when he thought back to what occurred in the bathroom, "um... Yeah, I was really nervous leading up to it, and you know I was nervous afterwards too. I just don't want to mess up, which you already know as well".

Dimitri nodded his head a little, "I do, and I know we talked about it briefly already, but I just want to reaffirm that I did like what we did, Cairo. I didn't tell you at the time, but you look beautiful when you're like that".

"I'm already blushing thinking about it, Dimitri, you don't need to make it worse".

Cairo covered his cheeks with his hands and Dimitri chuckled.

"Sorry," the older man apologized, "but it's true".

"You looked good too, you know," Cairo murmured quietly. He spared Dimitri a quick glance before looking away. "Really hot, I wish I could've returned the favor. I feel bad about how I was able to get off, but you weren't".

Dimitri shrugged his shoulders, "don't be, next time, yeah?"

Cairo smiled a little at Dimitri's implication, "yeah, okay, next time".

Taking a hold of Cairo's hand, Dimitri slowly pulled Cairo away from the kitchen counter. Cairo let him and followed him out of the kitchen entirely. The two went upstairs and watched TV in the comfort of Dimitri's bed. By the time dinner rolled around, Cairo was still at Dimitri's house, and the older man didn't mind one bit. Dimitri ordered food in and Cairo paid for the bill because he wouldn't let Dimitri put his credit card information in. After eating, Dimitri asked Cairo if he wanted to spend the night, to which Cairo said he didn't mind.

"I'm going to have to start keeping some of my clothes over here," Cairo joked lightly as Dimitri handed him some pajamas. "Only a small bit though, I want it to seem like I'm not even here".

Dimitri looked at him and said, "I don't".

Cairo furrowed his eyebrows in confusion because he wasn't sure what Dimitri meant. "Don't what?" Cairo asked, holding the pajamas close to him.

"I don't want it to seem like you're not here," Dimitri explained. "I want the opposite actually. If you want to have some of your clothes here then you can bring some over. You don't have to though, I like seeing you in my clothes".

"Oh, okay," Cairo breathed, "I like wearing them so... That works".

"It does, doesn't it?" Dimitri chuckled.

Cairo smiled and retreated into the bathroom to change. Dimitri took the opportunity to put on his own pajamas while Cairo was doing the same only a few feet away. Dimitri was just getting back into the bed when Cairo walked out of the bathroom. He placed the pants that he had been wearing into Dimitri's hamper since they belonged to him, and he placed his folded shirt on top of the hamper.

"Should I, uh... Should I go to the guest room to sleep?" Cairo asked, he shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited for Dimitri to respond.

"If that's what you want," Dimitri answered, "is that what you want?"

Shaking his head, Cairo bit his lip, "no".

Dimitri pulled back the blanket and patted the empty space beside him. "Come get in then".

Cairo walked across the room and got into the bed. He laid down beside Dimitri and hesitantly shifted closer to him. Dimitri reached behind him and turned off the bedside lamp that was illuminating the room. Once it was dark, the man turned onto his side and pulled Cairo into him. Cairo reminded himself that the next time he was this close to Dimitri, he wasn't going to move away. He liked being close to him, and it seemed that Dimitri liked it as well.

Cairo found Dimitri's fingers in the dark since the man had placed his arm over Cairo's waist. "Dimitri, I don't know what this is yet, but I, um... I really like it," Cairo confessed, his voice soft. "I really like you".

Dimitri squeezed Cairo's fingers that his own were holding, "I really like you too, Cairo".


	14. Chapter Fourteen

"Cairo, mate, are you almost done?" Fionn asked as he stood by the opened front door of their apartment, "we were supposed to be there ten minutes ago".

"I'm coming!" Cairo called from his bedroom, he was tying his shoes as quickly as he could. Once they were tied, he stood up straight and grabbed his phone from his nightstand. He only gave himself three seconds to look into the mirror hanging on the back of his closet door before he was walking out of the room.

"We're late, and it's all my fault," he murmured to himself as he strode out of the apartment. Fionn followed behind him and closed the door along the way. The two men walked to Fionn's car and once they were settled inside and their seatbelts were buckled, they began to make their way to the community park.

As Fionn was focusing on driving, he could see Cairo tapping his foot and wringing his hands together like he usually did whenever he was nervous. Fionn wondered if he should speak, his friend was stressed out, and he could easily tell. Fionn wanted to offer kind words, but he wasn't too sure if that's what Cairo wanted at the moment. He probably wanted to just sit in silence and get to the park as soon as possible. Fionn had made up his mind that he wasn't going to say a word, but that quickly changed when he heard Cairo softly speaking to himself.

"You're so fucking stupid, Cairo".

"Absolutely not," Fionn frowned, "don't talk like that about yourself, mate".

Cairo shook his head a little, "it's true".

"It's not, you're so hard on yourself, Cairo. Everything is fine. We're running a bit late, but it's alright," Fionn explained. "Text Dimitri and tell him we'll be at the park in the next ten minutes. Why do you put so much pressure on yourself?"

Shaking his head for a second time, Cairo picked up his phone and texted Dimitri exactly what Fionn told him to. "I've always been hard on myself, Fionn".

"Why?"

"Because I was bullied for being different. I started talking to myself and trying to like... Correct my own behavior so I wouldn't mess up and so people would like me more".

"You need to cut that shit out," Fionn demanded, his voice revealing how serious he was. "I don't like hearing you saying such mean stuff to yourself. You wouldn't dare say anything like that to anyone else, so don't say it to yourself".

"Okay," Cairo whispered. He could tell from Fionn's tone of voice that he wasn't happy, and Cairo was upset with himself for having made Fionn mad.

"I'm sorry for how I just said that to you, I may have come off a bit more angry than I would've liked. I'm just pissed off about how some kids from middle and high school were so mean to you that you started treating yourself the exact same way they treated you, and that you're still doing it. What I'm saying is coming from a place of love, you do know that, right?"

"I know," Cairo nodded his head, "and you're right. I would never speak to others the way I speak to myself. It's a bad habit that I need to work on getting rid of".

"It is," Fionn agreed, "I love you, mate. You need to treat yourself better".

Cairo cooed, "I love you too, Fionn. You're so nice to me".

"Of course, I wouldn't treat you any other way".

Cairo felt a bit better by the time he and Fionn arrived to the park. He was less upset with himself for being late, but he was still worried about whether Dimitri would be mad at him for not arriving on time. Dimitri had invited Cairo, Fionn, and Seven to an event for the community that was being held at the local park. Different vendors had teamed up with the police department to host a small event to express to the people in the city that they were safe. With the two recent murders occurring, word had gotten around that a lot of people were feeling unsafe. The police department wanted to reassure everyone that they were doing the best they could when it came to finding who had committed the murders.

Dimitri and a few other officers from the department were assigned to partake in the event. They were there to answer questions and interact with people, especially children. Captain Hutchinson knew it was imperative to have his officers interact with the children of the city so they wouldn't grow up afraid of the police. The city didn't have the best relationship with the police to begin with, and Captain Hutchinson wanted that to change when it came to the younger generation.

"It's hot as shit out here," Fionn swore as he got out of the car, "I forgot to put on sunscreen, I'm going to burn".

Cairo smiled in amusement as he closed the passenger door, "maybe Dimitri or Seven will have some?"

"I hope so," Fionn responded as he looked over his skin.

Fionn was pale, it was one of the many things he had to thank Ireland for. When Fionn used to live in Ireland, he never got much sun due to the climate there. Fionn remembered how surprised he had been when he experienced his first Summer in the city. He also remembered his first severe sunburn after taking a trip to the beach and forgetting to use sunscreen. It was a bad experience and something he never wanted to go through again.

After making sure the car was locked, Fionn and Cairo walked to the field in which the event was being held. As they grew closer, the two men could both hear and see the event. There was a bounce house for the children and different vendors were set up in a large circle on the field. Most of them belonged to local businesses who had a good relationship with the police department.

"They have candy floss," Fionn smiled, he was secretly pleased when he noticed the cotton candy stand. He looked to Cairo who was too busy looking for Dimitri. The younger man couldn't see him yet, he had seen a few police officers in their uniforms, but he hadn't spotted Dimitri.

"He's by the bounce house," Fionn informed while pointing. Cairo turned his attention to the bounce house. Cairo could now see the back of Dimitri's body due to the man not facing him. Dimitri was squatting down and helping a little boy tie his shoes.

"Hey, you two," Seven greeted as he approached Cairo and Fionn from their right. Both men smiled when they looked at Seven. Fionn walked up to him and pressed a kiss to the man's cheek before speaking.

"Hi, babe, do you have any sunscreen? My White ass is going to turn red by the end of the day if I don't put any on".

Seven nodded his head with a laugh and gave Fionn a peck on the lips, "I have some, yeah. It's in my car though". Seven fished his car keys out of his pocket and passed them over to Fionn. "I parked by the entrance of the park".

"Oh for fuck's sake," Fionn sighed, "more walking".

"You just got here, Fionn," Seven teased. "It'll take you less than fifteen minutes to walk there, we've had sex for longer than that". 

Cairo rolled his eyes and fake gagged.

Fionn looked at Seven and smirked, "thank God, fifteen minutes is not enough time for sex".

"Alright, alright," Cairo motioned with his hands for Fionn to get going. "Seven go with him, I know you want to. I'm going to say hello to Dimitri".

Cairo watched the two leave for Seven's car, and once he couldn't see them anymore, he turned around and made his way to Dimitri. The older man was still by the bounce house, but he was no longer tying the little boy's shoes.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Cairo apologized once he was standing behind Dimitri. He was glad he was able to walk up to him without being noticed. Apologizing to Dimitri while his back was facing Cairo was a lot easier for the younger man to handle. "I lost track of time, I understand if you're mad".

Dimitri turned around and looked at Cairo in surprise. He knew the man was going to arrive to the park soon, and he was looking forward to seeing him. He wasn't expecting an apology to be the first thing to come out of Cairo's mouth when he finally saw him.

"Hi, Cairo," he greeted with a smile, "I'm not mad. I've lost track of time before, it's fine. You're here now, that's all that matters. Seven is around here somewhere, have you seen him yet?"

Cairo nodded his head, "yeah, he talked to Fionn and I just a few minutes ago. He and Fionn went to Seven's car because Fionn needed sunscreen. He forgot to put some on before we left the apartment".

"Oh, okay, I'm sure they'll take their time coming back".

"Probably," Cairo agreed, "um... Am I allowed to kiss you? Or because since you're technically on duty right now, I can't?"

"You can kiss me," Dimitri smiled in amusement, "I won't get in trouble".

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure because like... I wouldn't want you to get in trouble and I be the reason why beca-" Dimitri interrupted Cairo's rambling with a kiss on the lips. It was short and sweet, but Cairo still appreciated it anyway.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri asked once he had separated his lips from Cairo's, "you seem nervous".

"I'm okay, only a little nervous," Cairo answered truthfully, "the event looks really nice. A lot of people have showed up".

"It does, doesn't it? I'm happy about the turn out. I've already spoken to a lot of people. They've asked me questions about the murders and I've been trying to answer them as best as I can. I can't say too much, but I've seen a few people walk away looking relieved, so I figure I'm doing a good job".

"It sounds like it," Cairo nodded his head and glanced behind Dimitri. "Have you been put in charge of the bounce house?"

"I have, but I have a few more minutes before another person will come over and switch with me. You don't have to stay here while I watch the kids. Walk around and check out the vendors, yeah? I'll find you when I'm free".

"Okay".

Cairo decided to check out a vendor that had briefly caught his eye when he was first walking over to Dimitri. It had caught his eye due to the two people sitting behind the table set up. It was an older couple and they didn't really seem to be getting too much interaction with the other people at the event. From what Cairo could tell as he approached the table, they were selling plants.

"Hello," Cairo greeted once he was standing in front of the table, "I like your plants".

The older couple smiled, and the woman decided to reply with "thank you, honey. We grow them all. They're succulents, very easy plants to take care of".

"Can you tell me how to take care of one?"

"Which one would you like to learn about?"

With a soft hum, Cairo took the time to look over the different succulents. He finally settled on a round cactus and pointed to it, "this one, please".

The man took it upon himself to explain the ins and outs of how to care for the cactus, and his wife let him. There weren't too many instructions to follow, and Cairo found himself believing that he would be able to keep a cactus alive if he bought one. Cairo wasn't expecting to leave the event with a new plant, but it was a reasonable price and quite cute. Cairo honestly felt a little bad that no one was giving the mom and pop shop any time of day, and Cairo wanted to purchase something from them, even if it was one five dollar cactus.

"I'd like to buy it, please".

"Okay".

Luckily Cairo had a five dollar bill in his wallet, so the woman didn't need to give him change once he had handed it to her. Cairo picked up his cactus and thanked the couple before walking away.

"I'm going to have to carry you around for the whole time I'm here, but that's okay," Cairo murmured softly to his cactus.

Cairo moved onto the next vendor, and from where Dimitri was standing, he watched him. His replacement had arrived just a few seconds ago to take over watching the kids jump around in the bounce house. Dimitri could join Cairo until he was needed again, but for right now he settled for just watching Cairo interact with the other people at the event.

"You're looking at him with so much fondness in your eyes," Seven said. Dimitri wasn't going to admit it to anyone, but his friend had startled him a bit. He was too busy watching Cairo to notice another person was approaching him.

"Am I? I wasn't aware".

Seven simply hummed in confirmation instead of speaking.

"I really like him, Seven," Dimitri admitted. "I don't know what the hell it is about him, but I think he's it for me. Does that sound stupid to say? Do you think it's too soon to say something like that?"

"Not to me," Seven shrugged his shoulders, "if you know then you know, regardless of how long you've known him. I've always been of the belief that time doesn't really matter all that much, Dimitri. My mother and my father knew each other for years before they started dating and got married, and look where that got them. They're divorced and barely talk anymore. My mother is having the time of her life with her new husband and she'd only known him for a year before they tied the knot. When you know, you know".

Dimitri nodded his head a little, "I get what you're saying. I'm scared to say anything to Cairo about it. I've been noticing how domesticated things have been between us whenever he's at my house. It's something I could get used to, but I'm afraid to bring it up because I don't want to scare him away".

"It's okay to be scared," Seven reassured, "Cairo could react in many different ways". Seven rushed to keep speaking when he noticed Dimitri's wary look, "but I doubt Cairo would react negatively".

"What's it we're talking about?" Fionn asked as he walked up to Dimitri and Seven. The two men looked at him and Seven shook his head in amusement when he noticed the stick of cotton candy he was holding in his hand.

"What? I like candy floss, although you all call it cotton candy here in the states. We call it candy floss back in Ireland," Fionn tore a piece of the sweet treat off and ate it. "What're we talking about now?"

"How absolutely gone Dimitri is for Cairo," Seven answered.

Fionn cooed and looked at Dimitri, "yeah? Mate, that's great. Are you gonna tell him?"

Dimitri shrugged his shoulders, "I'm not sure".

"What's got you so hesitant then?"

"He's scared Cairo won't feel the same way, afraid he's going to scare him off and all that other bullshit".

Rolling his eyes, Dimitri elbowed Seven in the side, "thanks for putting it so bluntly".

"Mate, Cairo is trying his damned hardest for you," Fionn stated seriously. "He's not going to react poorly, trust me. You've got nothing to really worry about. The only thing I'd say you should watch out for is him trying even harder than he already is. He's trying hard to get you, but once he knows he has you, he's going to try even harder to keep you. He'll probably stress himself the fuck out trying to make sure you don't get bored of him".

Dimitri frowned and stared at Cairo from afar. The man was now sitting on the ground, and from what Dimitri could tell, he was playing rock, paper, scissors with a little girl. The two were playing against each other to see who would get to keep the stuffed cat that was in between the both of them. It was easy to miss if you were a child, but since Dimitri was older and knew how rock, paper, scissors worked, he noticed how Cairo was displaying his hand signs just a second or two after the little girl did. Cairo was seeing which signs she was playing and whichever she chose, he would choose the one that would lose. When the little girl did rock, Cairo did scissors, and when she did paper, he did rock. He was letting her win.

"I wouldn't get bored," Dimitri stated, "not of him".

"You'll have to tell him that, and even then he probably won't believe you right away," Fionn sighed, "him being bullied has really had a negative impact on his self esteem".

"He was bullied?" Seven asked quietly.

"Mhm," Fionn hummed, "middle and high school weren't the best for him".

"That sucks".

"It does," Fionn agreed, "it really does".

Dimitri watched Cairo stand up from where he had been sitting on the grass. "I'm going to go over there with him," Dimitri stated. "I told him I would find him once I was free of watching over the bounce house".

After Seven and Fionn nodded their heads, Dimitri made his way to Cairo.

"I bought a cactus from the really lovely couple who owns a flower shop," Cairo explained to Dimitri once the man was standing in front of him. "Do you know who I'm talking about?"

"I do, mister and misses Porter, they're very nice," Dimitri answered. "I've known the two for a very long time. I saw you playing rock, paper, scissors over here before I came over".

Cairo blushed in embarrassment, "oh, yeah, you probably saw me cheat too, huh?"

"Cheating to lose, which I've never seen before, but," Dimitri shrugged his shoulders, "I understand why you did it".

"I figured I could pass on winning the stuffed cat, I'm already going home with a cactus, and I could tell the girl really wanted it more than I did. The determination in her eyes was there, and it was very intimidating". Cairo smiled, "plus, I doubt I would've known what to do if she had lost and ended up crying because of it".

Dimitri nodded his head, "that's understandable".

Speaking about Cairo's interaction with the young girl made Dimitri wonder if Cairo wanted kids of his own or not. Dimitri wasn't sure how Cairo would take it if he asked him about it. Dimitri wanted kids, he had made up his mind about wanting them when he was twenty-four. He figured it would be a good idea to ask Cairo where he stood on the topic because the older man was certain Cairo was the one. If Cairo didn't want kids, Dimitri would have to reevaluate whatever was happening between them. Dimitri didn't think he would change his mind about wanting children, and he didn't want to be the one to persuade Cairo to change his mind if he ended up not wanting to be a parent.

"Can I ask you something?" Dimitri asked as he watched Cairo carefully.

Cairo peered up at Dimitri and nodded his head, "sure".

"Do you wants kids?"

"Like right now? Dimitri, I'm only twenty-two, and I do-" "No, no, not right now," Dimitri laughed, "just in general, have you decided if you want kids or not?"

Cairo nodded his head for a second time, "yeah, I've decided... I do want kids, I want a family that's better than my own. One that I helped to create... One that I'm actually apart of".

Dimitri hadn't expected such a sad response from Cairo. If he had known exactly why Cairo wanted kids, he wouldn't have asked him in such a public place. Cairo looked sad, and Dimitri wondered how he could make him feel better.

"I'm sorry you don't have a good relationship with your family, Cairo".

"It's, uh... It's okay," Cairo murmured, "it's not your fault, so... Yeah, it's okay".

Dimitri stepped closer to Cairo and wrapped his arms around him in a hug. Cairo hugged him back because he very much enjoyed the older man's hugs. They made him feel safe and secure, and Cairo liked how he could smell Dimitri's body wash so distinctly. Cairo closed his eyes and hummed softly. A few seconds went by before another pair of arms were wrapping themselves around him, and then another.

"I love group hugs," Fionn murmured.

"Me too," Seven agreed.

Dimitri grunted, "get off of me".

Cairo snorted a laugh into Dimitri's chest, "we have got to look so weird right now".

"Who cares?" Fionn asked, "I don't".

"You've got to admit," Seven murmured, "it is kind of nice".

"Alright, alright," Dimitri stated, moving his body so he would be freed from the arms that were around him. "My coworkers are not going to let me live this down".

Seven gasped, "Dimitri, are you embarrassed of us?"

"Of Cairo? No. Of you two? Maybe".

Cairo smiled and leaned into Dimitri. He wasn't going to say anything about it, but hearing Dimitri say he wasn't embarrassed of Cairo made the younger man feel good about himself.

Fionn looked at Dimitri in amusement before speaking, "that's cute".

Cairo rolled his eyes and grinned, "don't start, Fionn".

"Oh, please, you think it's cute too. I'm just the one who isn't afraid to say it out loud".

Even though Cairo didn't verbally speak, Fionn could tell what he had just said was true. Fionn took Seven's hand into his own and began to lead him in the direction of the cotton candy stand.

"I need more candy floss, Seven," Fionn informed.

Seven quirked an eyebrow and eyed the stick in Fionn's other hand, "you haven't even finished what's on your stick".

"I know, but they're free, so you can ask for one, and then I can just have yours".

"Oh," Seven said, he shrugged his shoulders, "okay".

Dimitri and Cairo watched the two leave for the cotton candy stand.

"You're really not embarrassed of me?" Cairo asked quietly after a few seconds of being alone with Dimitri. "Were you just saying that since I'm right here?"

Dimitri looked at Cairo with a small frown on his face, "I wouldn't lie about something like that, Cairo. I'm not embarrassed of you". 

Cairo nodded his head a little, "okay, it made me feel good when I heard you say it. I was just wondering if you really meant it or not".

Dimitri took the time to locate Seven and Fionn. The two were waiting in line to receive another stick of cotton candy. Knowing that they were preoccupied with something else, Dimitri pulled Cairo into another hug. The younger man felt a bout of contentment and wondered if he would always feel such a thing whenever he was hugged by Dimitri, he sure hoped so.

Pressing a soft kiss to Cairo's forehead, Dimitri murmured, "I'll always mean it".


	15. Chapter Fifteen

"Seven lives here?" Cairo asked, his voice revealing how astonished he was. Dimitri glanced at the younger man from where he was sitting in the driver's seat of his car. Cairo was peering out of the window, eyeing the high rise building. He looked at Dimitri when the older man entered the gated parking lot after typing in the entrance code on the security gate's keypad. "This building is one of the nicer ones".

"He does, and it is," Dimitri answered, "the apartments are really nice on the inside".

"I can already tell and I haven't even stepped into the building yet," Cairo stated.

Once Dimitri found a parking spot, the two got out of the car and began to walk to the door that would allow them into the building. Dimitri had to key in another code to unlock the door, and once it was unlocked, he held it open for Cairo to walk through first. The lobby of the building was lavish, and Cairo had no idea how much it cost to live there, but he knew it was so outside of his price range.

"How much is Seven's rent?"

"Hmm," Dimitri thought for a moment, "one thousand something. It's fitting for the type of apartment he has, but his rent is still costly. He can afford it though, so it's really not too much for him".

"I never got around to asking what his job is".

"He's a financial manager," Dimitri explained after stepping onto the elevator that he and Cairo had been waiting for. "He deals with numbers all day, he makes financial reports, cash-flow statements, and projections on profits for major companies".

"Sounds exhausting," Cairo confessed, "I've never been a fan of numbers".

Dimitri chuckled, "honestly, me neither. I was more focused on sports, I played basketball and football in high school while Seven spent some time tutoring other students because he liked math so much".

"You guys had a better experience than me, I hid in the library for the majority of high school".

"Why the library?"

"None of my bullies liked the library".

Dimitri looked at Cairo in disappointment, he wasn't sure on what exactly he wanted to say in response to what Cairo had just told him. Cairo took his eyes off of the elevator panel that displayed the floor numbers. They were currently on the third floor and they had to make it to the twenty-fourth. He peered up at Dimitri and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why're you looking at me like that, Dimitri?"

"It just makes me sad to hear you say stuff like that to me".

"I'm sorry," Cairo apologized, "I won't mention it anymore".

Cairo didn't want to make Dimitri sad, and he didn't want to bother Dimitri at all either. If hearing about him being bullied bothered Dimitri then Cairo wouldn't speak on the subject anymore. He wondered if Dimitri thought he was seeking attention every time he mentioned it. Cairo wasn't, and he really hoped Dimitri didn't think he was.

Shaking his head, Dimitri took Cairo's hand into his own, "that's not what I want, Cairo. I want you to talk to me about it. I want to know more about what your life was like for you if you're comfortable enough to talk about it with me. It just makes me sad to hear how you've been treated".

"Oh," Cairo breathed, "okay".

Cairo wasn't used to other people besides Fionn caring about him. Sure Cairo had friends when was attending college, but they were just nice to him. Cairo couldn't say with one hundred percent confidence that any of them fully cared for him. Dimitri cared for him like Fionn did, and it was something Cairo just wasn't quite familiar with yet.

The dinging of the elevator alerted Cairo to being on the twenty-fourth floor. Dimitri stepped out first, and Cairo followed in his footsteps. He didn't know where he was going because this was his first time visiting Seven's apartment, so Cairo let Dimitri lead the way. Seven had invited Dimitri and Cairo over for a fun night in. The four men hadn't all seen each other since attending the community event at the park, and that was almost two weeks ago. Dimitri had been busy with work and trying to gain any new information on the murders. 

There hadn't been a new one in the last fourteen days, which was both good and concerning at the same time. It was good that no one else had been murdered, but at the same time the police department was now waiting for the other shoe to drop. The department wasn't sure when, or if, the murderer was going to strike again. They wanted to get the murderer behind bars as soon as possible, but they just didn't have enough evidence to round up any suspects yet.

Fionn had been too focused on school to even think about spending time with anyone. He had locked himself away in his room to work on his assignments. He had also began to study for major tests in his course. The man had only left the apartment to go to his classes and work, and he would occasionally spend time at Seven's apartment to get help with his math work. Seven was great with numbers and he dealt with them every day. Helping Fionn with his math homework was a breeze, and he oftentimes found it amusing to hear Fionn accuse him of being some sort of robot.

Seven and Cairo were just occupied with work. Cairo was simply going through the motions and getting through the days. Sometimes he would be visited by Dimitri during his break, and other days he would go to Dimitri's house after work whenever the man was there. Seven had been working on different financial reports with his team. He loved his job, but sometimes he enjoyed returning home from the office and finding Fionn already there with his open textbooks covering the coffee table.

Seven remembered being apprehensive of Fionn when they first began texting one another, but he was glad he had given him a chance. Fionn wasn't like any of the other people he had ever dated before. He offered to pay the entire bill anytime he and Seven went out instead of simply assuming Seven would pay. Fionn didn't live a lavish lifestyle and blow his money on things that didn't matter. The man was very good at managing his own finances and he handled his trust fund very well. He also wasn't with Seven for his money, he was with Seven because the two had a lot in common and got along extremely well. Seven had never felt so comfortable with someone so fast.

"Seven texted and said we could let ourselves in," was what Dimitri murmured once he and Cairo were standing outside of the apartment. Dimitri pulled his keys from his pocket and found the one that would unlock Seven's door. "I'm hoping they'll both be decent since they know we're coming over".

Cairo laughed a little and nodded his head in agreement, "me too".

Dimitri opened the door and stepped into the apartment first, "we're here! Do you guys have clothes on?"

"We do, you asshole," Seven answered from where he was standing in the kitchen.

Cairo walked in behind Dimitri and his eyes widened in shock at what he saw. The younger man knew Seven's apartment had to be nice if he lived in such an expensive high rise building, but he was still surprised by the things he saw. The L-shaped sectional and lounge chair coincided well with the dark hard wood flooring. The TV was the largest one he had ever seen mounted to a wall before, and the gas fireplace beneath it was a lovely add on. The curtains to the floor to ceiling windows were drawn open so the view of the city could be seen.

"Seven, how many figures do you make a year in order to be able to afford a place like this?" Cairo asked in curiosity.

With a chuckle, Seven simply replied with, "six. If it's a good year for me then I bring in around two hundred thousand something dollars".

"Wow," Cairo whispered, he removed his shoes because he didn't want to be responsible for potentially dirtying the floor. "That's something I would've never known if I hadn't have asked, you don't flaunt your money at all. It's very admirable".

"Thank you, Cairo, that's very kind of you to say".

"Isn't he great?" Fionn asked, making his presence known from where he was lounging on the sectional. "I love a man who keeps his finances to himself".

Dimitri laughed lightly and greeted Fionn before joining Seven in the kitchen. Cairo smiled at Fionn before walking over to the floor to ceiling windows. Seven lived on the twenty-fourth floor, so his apartment was high up enough for him to have a wonderful view of the city. Cairo had lived in the city for a few years now, but he had never been high enough to see it all at once until now. It was pretty, and he quietly looked it over and took it all in.

"You okay?" Dimitri asked as he approached Cairo and stood behind him. He placed his hands on Cairo's waist and smiled when the younger man leaned into him.

"Yeah, I'm just looking at the view, it's really pretty".

"Just wait until it gets darker outside and you can see all of the lights," Dimitri stated. "I think it's one of the favorite things I enjoy about Seven's apartment".

"I'm included in the favorite things you enjoy about my apartment, right?" Seven asked.

Dimitri rolled his eyes in amusement and didn't bother to look behind him at Seven. "Of course, Seven. You're like third on the list".

Seven made a noise of protest, "third? I should be first!"

"You're first on my list, baby," Fionn cooed as he peered over the sectional.

"I'm going to throw up," Cairo announced, "all over your windows, Seven".

Dimitri laughed and guided Cairo to the kitchen where Seven had placed drinks on the marble topped island. Cairo figured Dimitri must've told Seven that he wasn't much of a beer fan because there was a different alcoholic drink amongst the three beer bottles. Cairo picked it up and before he could have a taste of it, Fionn spoke.

"I taught Seven how to make your drink, Cairo, so it doesn't taste like shit. You'd think for a man who's named after a number and is a financial manager, he'd be able to properly measure and pour the right amount of alcohol... Apparently not though".

"I'm not named after a number," Seven frowned, "my parents didn't name me Seven because it was their favorite number".

Cairo took the straw that was sticking out of the glass into his mouth so he wouldn't laugh. Dimitri didn't mind laughing; however, and he did so freely.

"Kids used to always make jokes about Seven's name when we were in school".

Seven groaned and uncapped the beer bottle he picked up from the island. "'Seven, why'd you eat nine?' 'Seven, is your middle name eight?'" Seven mocked, "they would literally ask me that shit all of the time. It was so fucking annoying".

"Oh, mate, you really shouldn't have told me that," Fionn threw his head back and cackled out a laugh.

Cairo snorted a laugh of his own because seeing Fionn cracking up on the sectional was amusing to him. Dimitri chuckled and watched Seven glare at Fionn. The man's lips twitched up into a small smile, so Dimitri knew his friend wasn't really upset about being the butt of the joke.

"Let's start the movie before you guys make me change my mind and I kick you all out," Seven announced. "Dimitri, grab the snacks, and make yourself comfortable, Cairo".

Seven carried Fionn's beer over to him and lifted the younger man's legs up so he could sit down. Seven returned Fionn's legs to the position they were in before, and Dimitri grabbed the bowl of popcorn and other snacks Seven had laid out on the kitchen counter. The sectional was large enough for Seven and Fionn to be comfortable on one side and Dimitri and Cairo on the other. Dimitri placed everything on the coffee table and joined Cairo.

Cairo made sure not to spill any of his drink as he cuddled close to Dimitri. If he got something on Seven's sectional, he knew he wouldn't be able to replace it. Cairo was sure the entire thing probably cost more than his rent. Dimitri placed an arm around Cairo's shoulders and smiled softly when the younger man rested his head on Dimitri's own shoulder.

"So cute," Fionn whispered, peering at the two from where he sat with Seven who was too busy starting the movie they had all agreed upon.

Cairo turned his head and when he saw Fionn looking at him, he spoke, "oh my God, pay attention to the movie".

Fionn grinned, "okay".

The movie lasted for about two hours and once it was over, Seven hopped up and collected everyone's empty beer bottles that had been placed onto the coffee table. Cairo handed Seven his glass and once Seven took it from him, Cairo stood up and began to clean up the empty snack bags on the coffee table.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that, Cairo," Seven said when Cairo joined him in the kitchen to discard of the trash.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Cairo responded, "I don't mind, I was taught to always clean up after myself before leaving someone's place".

Seven nodded his head in understanding because he had been taught the same, "you going back to Dimitri's house with him?"

"Yeah," Cairo smiled a little and glanced at Dimitri who was still sitting on the sectional. He was too busy talking to Fionn about the movie to notice Cairo was looking at him.

"He really likes you," Seven murmured quietly so he wouldn't catch his friend's attention, "like a lot".

"I really like him a lot too".

Cairo turned his head and looked at Seven. He tapped his fingers against the counter because he was beginning to feel a bit nervous. This was the first time he and Seven had really spoken to one another one on one. Every other time the two shared words, Fionn and Dimitri were apart of the conversation as well. Cairo wasn't sure what else Seven was going to say to him, but he was afraid it would be a warning to not hurt Dimitri. Cairo wouldn't do that, and he really hoped it was something Seven already knew.

"I won't hurt him," Cairo blurted out. He just wanted to get the inevitable conversation over with. "I promise".

"Well that's comforting to know" Seven began, "but I was just going to say that you two look nice together. I don't think I've ever seen Dimitri look so happy before".

"Are you being serious?"

"I am" Seven answered, "literally everyone bails because of his job. I can imagine it being hard to date a police officer. You have to deal with the worry of something happening to them while they're on duty, and the constantly changing shift hours. Also, them not being able to take as many vacations or missing holidays because they have to work".

"I don't care about any of that," Cairo admitted, "well except for Dimitri getting hurt, that scares me, but everything else doesn't matter. I see him when I'm able to, and when I'm not then we still text. I'm not taking vacations anyway because I can't afford to take any right now, and ever since I've moved here, holidays haven't been a big deal to me. I'm not leaving".

Seven smiled and glanced over Cairo's shoulder. Dimitri had stopped talking to Fionn and was listening to Cairo speak. It was comforting to hear Cairo's take on the things that usually bothered other people.

"I'm glad it's working so well for you two," Seven stated. "I can understand what Dimitri sees in you".

Cairo grinned, "thank you, Seven".

After tossing away the trash and making sure Seven wasn't going to say anything else to him, Cairo walked over to the windows. It was dark outside, and Cairo remembered Dimitri telling him the view was even prettier when all of the lights from the other buildings could be seen. Dimitri gave Cairo time to look over the city on his own before getting up from the sectional and joining him.

"You ready to go home?"

With a nod of his head, Cairo replied, "yeah".

Once the two had said goodbye to Seven and Fionn, they left the apartment and made their way down to Dimitri's car. The ride to Dimitri's house consisted of the two discussing the movie they had just watched. Cairo thought it was a bit slow in the beginning, but once things began to pick up, it was really entertaining. Dimitri agreed with him and wondered if there would be a sequel.

Once they were inside Dimitri's home, the older man walked to his kitchen and Cairo followed behind him.

"Are you hungry? I know we had snacks at Seven's, but I can make something really fast for you".

Cairo shook his head and stood at the kitchen counter. He peered out of the window that was above the sink and Dimitri walked over and joined him.

"Sorry the view isn't as great as Seven's".

"It's okay, I don't mind," Cairo smiled softly and hummed when Dimitri placed a hand on the back of his neck. Dimitri absentmindedly moved his thumb back and forth, and as he did so, he began to talk about getting ready for bed. Cairo wasn't paying attention. He was too busy concentrating on Dimitri's thumb. It was brushing against the sensitive part of his neck. Dimitri had kissed Cairo there weeks ago, and Cairo never realized just how much he enjoyed his neck being touched, no one had ever touched him there like the way Dimitri had.

Cairo moved his hands to gently grip the edge of the kitchen counter. He sucked in a breath and let it out slowly so he wouldn't attract attention to himself. Dimitri was still talking, and Cairo felt bad because he had no idea what the hell the man was saying.

"Dimitri, sorry to interrupt, but I'm going to get hard if you keep touching my neck like that".

Dimitri stopped talking and looked at Cairo in surprise. Once he comprehended what he had been told, he smirked and simply said, "okay".

"First you made me come in your bathroom, and now it'll be the kitchen?"

"Sure, why not?"

"I thought we were taking this slow?" Cairo asked, curious to see what Dimitri's response would be.

"I can touch you slowly, if you want".

Cairo hummed, "or... Or I could touch you instead?"

"If you'd like, but you certainly don't have to".

"I want to," Cairo nodded his head. "You'll guide me though, right? I don't want to mess up".

"I'll guide you," Dimitri reassured, "besides the last time in the bathroom, have you done anything sexual with anybody else before?"

Cairo hesitated before answering, "um... No, I haven't... Is that bad?"

Dimitri shook his head quickly, "not at all, I just want to get an idea on if it's your first time or not. It's nothing to be ashamed of".

He wasn't going to admit it, but Dimitri felt a bit pressured after hearing Cairo confess to being new to sexual touches. He felt pressured to make Cairo's experiences the best they could be. What happened in the bathroom weeks ago had escalated so quickly that Dimitri hadn't had the time to ask Cairo if he had done anything like it before. If he had known that he was the first person to ever make Cairo come like that, then Dimitri would've gone about it differently.

Dimitri moved closer to Cairo so he could kiss him, but Cairo made a noise of protest, "not in the kitchen, Dimitri! You cook in here".

Chuckling lowly, Dimitri took Cairo's hand in his own and led him out of the kitchen. Cairo thought he was going to follow Dimitri upstairs, but he ended up in the living room instead.

"On the couch?" Cairo asked curiously, he wasn't opposed to doing sexual things there, he just wasn't sure if that was allowed. "Are we allowed to do stuff in here?"

Cairo put emphasis on the word 'stuff' in hopes that Dimitri would understand he was talking about sexual touches.

Dimitri laughed in amusement, "it's my house, we can do it wherever we want. Is here alright with you? Or do you want to go upstairs?"

"Down here is good," Cairo whispered, he was too embarrassed to admit that doing sexual things in such an open space kind of turned him on.

"For the record, Fionn and Seven have definitely fucked on Seven's sectional," Dimitri stated as he sat down.

"Ew," Cairo laughed in surprise, "gross, I sat on that thing for two hours, Dimitri".

Dimitri looked up at Cairo and for a moment he just sat there and watched Cairo's face light up as he laughed. Once he was done admiring, he grabbed Cairo's wrist and pulled him down on top of him. Cairo only had the chance to briefly wonder if he was too heavy before Dimitri was kissing him. It was hard for Cairo to pay attention to anything other than Dimitri after that. The older man's hands moved along Cairo's body as the two kissed.

Cairo didn't know what to do with his own hands, so he just cupped Dimitri's jaw as he ground his hips down. Having Cairo use Dimitri's body to get hard caused the older man to get turned on too. He enjoyed being with Cairo in this way. It was only their second time, but Dimitri didn't think he would ever get bored of having Cairo in such a state.

The two men kissed until Cairo had to pull away to catch his breath. Dimitri took the opportunity to take off his shirt and he smiled softly when Cairo mirrored him and took off his shirt too. Cairo glanced at Dimitri for a short second before speaking.

"I'm not as muscular as you..."

"Doesn't matter," Dimitri replied, he leaned forward to press a short kiss to Cairo's lips. "I like what I see".

Cairo had always been a bit insecure of his body, but hearing Dimitri compliment him made him feel good. Dimitri could make Cairo feel good with just his words, his physical touches were just an added bonus. Cairo wanted to make Dimitri feel good too, and he wanted to do so physically. He was just going to need Dimitri's help along the way.

Cairo went to unbutton and unzip Dimitri's jeans, and the older man let him. He helped Cairo by lifting his lower body up from the couch so his pants could be easily removed. Cairo stood up and Dimitri helped Cairo out of his own pants. His eyes looked over the younger man and he briefly told himself that he had to remember to tell Cairo how beautiful he thought he was. Dimitri couldn't do it then because he was too busy watching Cairo's movements. Cairo moved to rest on his knees and he made room for himself between Dimitri's legs. Dimitri could see the hesitation in Cairo's eyes as he was unsure what to do next. Dimitri remembered Cairo telling him that he was going to need to be guided, and it was obvious now would be a good time for that to begin.

"Take off my boxers".

It was interesting, the way Cairo exhaled in relief and swiftly did what he was told to do. Cairo wasn't going to admit it, but having Dimitri give him orders was something he liked. Cairo only gave himself a few seconds to admire Dimitri's hard, cut cock before he was taking it into his hand. Dimitri covered Cairo's hand with his own and promptly began to jerk himself off the way he liked. It took Cairo a few seconds to pick up on the things Dimitri did to make himself feel good, but once he was sure he had it, he shook Dimitri's hand off so it was just him who was in control of the touching.

Cairo enjoyed receiving pleasure, but he absolutely loved giving it too. The way Dimitri pushed his hips up into Cairo's hand while tilting his head back acted as a reward to Cairo. It let him know he was doing something right. Cairo's hand continued to move along Dimitri's shaft, and every so often he would pay extra attention to the head.

Since Cairo was on his knees, Dimitri couldn't kiss him like he so desperately wanted to. The man just had to settle on waiting until Cairo wasn't on his knees anymore, and by the looks of it, it wasn't going to be much longer. Dimitri was going to come soon, and it really hadn't been that long, but what Cairo was doing just felt too good. For not having touched someone in such a way before, Cairo was a fast learner.

"Are you going to come?"

Dimitri laughed at Cairo's sudden question, and then he laughed some more because he could never recall ever laughing while someone jerked him off. "Yeah," he breathed, moaning lowly when he felt Cairo's other hand fondle his balls.

Cairo eyed Dimitri's leaking cock and before he could second guess himself, he lifted up on his knees and took it into his mouth. What he couldn't fit in his mouth, he simply covered with his hand. Dimitri's reaction was immediate when he felt the warmth of Cairo's mouth around him. His hands found Cairo's hair and he groaned, his thighs tensed and he forced himself to not thrust up because he didn't want Cairo to choke.

"Shit," he grunted, biting his lip as he came hard in Cairo's mouth. "Fuck".

Cairo swallowed Dimitri's cum down and he didn't have much time to think about what he'd done because Dimitri was pulling him up. Dimitri's hand gripped the back of Cairo's neck as he kissed him firmly. He licked into Cairo's mouth and the younger man moaned at how hot the action was. He felt Dimitri's hand slip into his boxers and he whimpered when his aching cock was finally touched. Dimitri tugged at Cairo's shaft in swift motions and circled his thumb against the head, and Cairo huffed out a moan as he eventually reached his climax and came over the older man's hand.

"Was I good?" Cairo whispered, he didn't want to speak too loudly because then he wouldn't be able to hear Dimitri's breathing. 

For a brief moment Cairo had a strange sense of deja vu. He felt like he had been in the same situation before where he was asking someone if he had done a good job or not. With furrowed eyebrows, Cairo pushed the feeling away and listened for Dimitri's answer as he watched him slip his boxers back on. Cairo needed the validation to settle the nervousness resting in the pit of his stomach.

Dimitri looked Cairo in the eye and kissed him softly, "yes". He placed his hand on Cairo's jaw and gently rubbed his thumb back and forth, "I don't think I've ever laughed while someone's touched me in such a way".

Smiling brightly, Cairo couldn't help but giggle, "really?"

Dimitri smiled himself and nodded his head in confirmation, "yeah". Dimitri continued to look at Cairo and he took the opportunity to ask, "you're really not going to leave?"

Cairo furrowed his eyebrows, "you heard me talking to Seven?"

With a second nod of his head, Dimitri responded, "yeah, I did. I heard you say you weren't going to leave".

"I'll only ever leave if you want me to, Dimitri", Cairo confessed. He moved his head so he was able to press a kiss to Dimitri's thumb.

"I doubt I'll ever want you to," Dimitri replied, and he meant it. The man didn't think he ever meant something more in his life. He felt something strong when it came to Cairo, and even though he was too afraid to put a name to it yet, he knew what exactly it was that he was feeling.

Cairo sighed in contentment, "well then I doubt I'll ever leave".

Dimitri searched Cairo's eyes for any signs of hesitance, and when he came up empty, he smiled. Cairo wasn't lying to him because he meant what he said too. For the first time ever, Dimitri wasn't worried about someone taking the first opportunity to abandon him, and it truly felt great.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

"This is the third one, Dimitri".

Dimitri looked back while he was jogging down the trail to see Cairo about five feet behind him. The younger man had his hands on top of his head as he breathed through his nose and out through his mouth.

"Do you need a break?" Dimitri asked as he stopped jogging. He waited for Cairo to catch up to him.

"After running three miles? Yes, yes, I do need a break". Cairo shook his head, "not everyone is as fit as you are, my legs feel like jello".

Dimitri chuckled at Cairo's words and decided running three miles would be enough for the day. Cairo had gotten off of work and had texted Dimitri to ask what he would be doing on his afternoon off of work. Dimitri told Cairo he was getting ready to go for a run, as he tried to get one in at least once a week. It was apart of his workout routine to stay fit. Dimitri asked Cairo if he would like to join, and even though Cairo wasn't much of a runner, he still accepted to tag along. It meant Cairo could be around Dimitri, and that was the only reasoning Cairo really needed.

"You're enjoying yourself though, right?" Dimitri asked, slinging an arm around Cairo's shoulders as the two walked along the trail.

With a small laugh, Cairo replied, "next time I'm going to pass on coming with you on your run".

"Oh, come on, it's not so bad. We're outside, we're in nature". Dimitri waved his other arm in the air and motioned to the tree canopy above them. The two men were running Dimitri's usual running trail. It was located in a large park that had different bike and running trails, along with a pond, playground, soccer field, and baseball field. It was the go to spot for people to get out of their house and enjoy the environment around them.

"We're also hot and sweaty," Cairo reminded. He leaned into Dimitri despite his words, "but I don't mind it very much, I'm with you so it's not that bad".

Dimitri looked at Cairo and smiled, "see, I knew you didn't mind it too much".

Cairo rolled his eyes in amusement, but he didn't speak. He was simply enjoying having Dimitri's arm on his shoulders as the two walked in a comfortable silence. Cairo's shirt was sticking to his back due to him being sweaty, but he wasn't confident enough to take it off. Dimitri had removed his shirt a mile into their run, but Cairo hadn't complained because he liked what he saw. Cairo wasn't completely sure what made him attractive to Dimitri, but he wasn't going to question it. Dimitri saw something in him that he didn't see himself, and even though Cairo wasn't sure exactly what it was, he was glad nonetheless.

"Can I ask you a question?" Cairo asked quietly.

"Sure," Dimitri moved his arm from Cairo's shoulders to his waist instead, "what is it?"

"You know the guy who went missing two days ago?" Cairo continued to speak when he got a nod from Dimitri, "has your department found him yet?"

"Not yet," Dimitri sighed, "we're doing all that we can. It's just a little hard because he's twenty-four and the department isn't completely convinced he was taken in the first place. I can't say too much, but we're in contact with his family. Apparently it was common for him to vanish for a few days and then return home".

"What if he was really taken though? Have you guys just stopped looking?"

"The police detectives are still looking for him, they just have to cover a few things first before they classify it as being urgent. Apparently it's not uncommon for the man to vanish for a few days before returning back home. It's hard for the detectives to say if he was really abducted or if he's just staying away for longer than usual. They're still looking though, they haven't stopped".

Two days ago a twenty-four year old, Black male went missing. Dimitri had been the officer the family of the man had reported him missing him to. Dimitri had helped the family to file a missing persons report, and he passed the report off to the police detectives within his department. Dimitri wasn't a police detective so he couldn't be the one to investigate crimes or where the man had gone.

"That's all I can really tell you because that's all I know," Dimitri confessed. "I'm not a police detective, I'm a patrol officer".

With furrowed eyebrows, Cairo asked, "what's the difference?"

"Police detectives investigate crimes. I patrol the streets and my job is to do things like direct traffic, investigate accidents, write tickets and respond to help calls. I'm the first on the scene for accidents, and I secure evidence and interview witnesses and then I pass it off to detectives so they can further the investigation. I also speak at schools and participate in community events. Detectives do more of the behind the scenes stuff. They interview witnesses further and suspects as well. They talk to coroners and forensics investigators, and sometimes they'll testify their findings in court if it leads to that".

"Oh, okay, I understand," Cairo sighed, "I was just curious to see if there was any news on him. I don't know him, but I'm scared for him. I know we haven't had a new murder in a while, but I just don't want him to be the next victim. It sucks his family had to wait twenty-four hours before reporting him missing".

Dimitri smiled in amusement and shook his head, "his family didn't have to wait. The twenty-four hour thing is a myth. You can report a person missing as soon as you know they're gone, you don't have to wait a day to do it. It's actually better to do it as soon as possible because if it's urgent, then the first forty-eight to seventy-two hours is the most crucial".

"Really?" Cairo quirked an eyebrow, "I always thought you had to wait".

"Where'd you get that idea from?"

Blushing in embarrassment, Cairo muttered his answer, "TV".

"I knew you were going to say that," Dimitri chuckled. He squeezed Cairo's waist a bit, "that's television production for you".

"I like learning things about your job," Cairo stated, "before I met you, I didn't know too much about police officers. I've always been kind of hesitant to interact with officers, sorry if that's mean".

"Well I'm glad I can inform you about stuff, and it's okay, I understand," Dimitri nodded his head. "I know some people are hesitant of the police, and even though I wish they weren't, I can understand why. The relationship between us and the community isn't as great as I would want it to be. I like learning about your job as well, you know?"

Cairo made a noise that conveyed his sudden curiosity, "do you? I work at a pet store, my job isn't nearly as interesting as yours is".

"Of course, it is," Dimitri responded, "the animal pictures you text me sometimes are pretty entertaining, but so are the facts that you tell me every now and then too. I think I've learned more about animals through you than I did in school".

"Yeah?" Cairo smiled, "I learn some stuff from Fionn too, he's getting his master's degree in animal science. Since he grew up on a farm, he really loves animals and he wants to get a job that deals with them everyday. He tells me some of the facts that I tell you. I'm glad you like them".

"Of course, keep them coming," Dimitri encouraged, "speaking of Fionn, do you have any idea what he and Seven have to talk to us about?"

"I have no idea," Cairo answered as he followed Dimitri off of the trail. They were where they started in the beginning of their run, and since they had ran three miles, Dimitri figured it was time to head back to his house. He and Cairo would have time to shower and prepare dinner before Seven and Fionn came over to talk about whatever they needed to discuss with them. A few days ago Fionn let Cairo know he and Seven had to talk to Cairo about something, and that it was probably going to affect him and Dimitri in some sort of way.

"I'm kind of scared," Cairo stated once he was in the passenger seat of Dimitri's car. He stared out of the window as Dimitri began to drive to his house. "I hope things haven't run its course and they've ended things between them".

Dimitri shook his head, "I don't think that's it, Seven didn't seem upset when he told me he needed to speak to us about something. It's probably something so mundane".

"I hope so," Cairo murmured, "I like them together".

"Me too," Dimitri agreed, "apparently Fionn's been sleeping at his apartment a ton".

"He has," Cairo confirmed, "but then again I've been sleeping at your house a lot too. I can't remember the last time Fionn and I have both slept in our apartment together. It's either I'm sleeping there and he's at Seven's, or vice versa. Whatever it is they have to talk to us about, I just hope it's nothing bad".

Cairo was glad the ride to Dimitri's house wasn't too long because he was secretly beginning to worry about what it was Fionn and Seven had to say. Cairo was the type to dwell on things and overthink situations. He tended to think the worse and it always caused him some sort of stress.

"Can you do me a favor and check the mailbox for me?" Dimitri asked once he had parked in the driveway and the two were out of the car.

With a nod of his head, Cairo walked to Dimitri's mailbox and checked it for mail. He grabbed the five envelopes that were inside of the mailbox and after shutting it closed, he walked up the driveway and along the walkway. He didn't shuffle through Dimitri's mail because that's not what he asked Cairo to do and Cairo wasn't going to overstep that boundary. He did notice; however, that there was a very fancy envelope sitting on top.

"I think you got invited to something," Cairo said once he had passed the mail off to Dimitri. The two men stepped into Dimitri's house and Cairo closed and locked the front door while Dimitri looked at the mail.

The older man eyed the envelope curiously, and he made sure it was the first to be opened. Dimitri wasn't quite sure what to expect when he pulled the card out, but it definitely wasn't a wedding invitation. He had been invited to one of his cousin's wedding which surprised him because the only family he was close to was his mother, father, and his siblings. It made sense for Dimitri not to be very close to his aunts and uncles because as he was growing up, they weren't very welcoming to people of the LGBTQ plus community. Dimitri was certain his family hadn't changed, and even though the cousin who sent him the wedding invitation wasn't the least bit homophobic, Dimitri knew his aunts and uncles and their kids would be at the wedding as well.

Cairo stood and noticed the way Dimitri seemed to be having an internal battle with himself. He didn't know what was bothering him, but Cairo hated seeing the older man upset. This wasn't the first time he'd seen the man upset. There were days where Dimitri had come home not in the best of moods from his day at work because something bad had happened. Cairo had been there to help him through it the best he could.

"Are you okay?" Cairo asked quietly, "you look upset".

"I got invited to one of my cousin's wedding," Dimitri answered.

"That's a bad thing?"

Dimitri made his way up the stairs and to his bedroom with Cairo following behind him.

"Not necessarily, but it could be".

With furrowed eyebrows, Cairo shook his head a little, "what do you mean?"

"My family is pretty homophobic," Dimitri began, "do you remember me telling you that my aunts and uncles didn't think it was okay for Black people to be gay? I told you when we were waiting for your therapy session to start".

"I remember, do you still think that's something they believe?"

"I'm sure a few of them still do, and I know some of my cousins believe it as well because that's what they were raised to believe. I don't think I'm going to go to the wedding. I just don't think I want to subject myself to any comments on my life. I know the wedding will be focused on my cousin, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of my family still came up to me to see if I'm still gay or not".

"You really think they'd do something like that?" Cairo questioned. "I just hate that you're thinking about missing out on a wedding because of your family. You could go by yourself and maybe lie about it whenever anyone asks? I know you probably don't like that idea".

"I don't," Dimitri admitted, "I don't want to lie about who I am. I've done that before, I've already lied about not being gay. I don't want to do it again. The invitation says I'm allowed a plus one, and I would want that plus one to be you, but I'm also not going to bring you along and have my family judge you too".

Cairo walked up to Dimitri, and despite them both being clammy from sweat, he hugged him. "Listen to me," Cairo stated, "it's whatever you want to do, okay? If you want to go, and you want me to come with you, then I will. If you don't want to go, and you want to stay home, then that's okay too. When do you have to RSVP by?"

"I've got two months to decide before I have to RSVP".

"Okay, that's good. Two months is a good amount of time, you have time to figure out what you want to do". Cairo took a step back so he could look Dimitri in the eye, "okay?"

Dimitri nodded his head, "okay".

"Kiss, please," Cairo puckered his lips and Dimitri laughed in response. He pulled the younger man closer to him and gave him what he wanted.

"How could anyone not like you?" Dimitri asked once they had finished kissing, "I just don't understand it". He gave Cairo a soft pat on the butt before continuing to speak, "we need to shower, we both need it".

Cairo giggled, "I wasn't going to say anything, but yeah, we both smell really bad".

"Let me get you a new towel and washcloth," Dimitri stated.

After Cairo had received both items, he retreated to the guest bathroom to shower and Dimitri showered in his ensuite. Once they were both done showering and dressed in new clothes, they met in the kitchen and began to cook dinner. Seven and Fionn were supposed to arrive in about an hour, so they had plenty of time to make it. Dimitri took on the duty of seasoning some chicken breast so it could be baked in the oven, and Cairo worked on making the sides of rice and broccoli.

From where Dimitri was standing at the counter, he listened to Cairo hum softly. The older man had no idea what he was humming, but it still acted as good background noise. This wasn't the first time he and Cairo had made dinner together, but Dimitri wasn't sure if he would ever get used to it. He enjoyed having Cairo in the kitchen with him, it felt very domestic. Dimitri didn't want to ruin the calm atmosphere by speaking, so he kept quiet and continued to listen to Cairo hum.

Seven and Fionn arrived to Dimitri's house shortly after Dimitri and Cairo had finished cooking dinner. Cairo was the one to answer the door and let Fionn and Seven in while Dimitri stayed in the kitchen to plate the food. The four men all took the time to greet each other before finally having a seat at the breakfast bar of the island.

"I got invited to Sandra's wedding," Dimitri said to Seven as they began to eat dinner. Even though Dimitri spoke to Cairo about the wedding already, he still wanted to discuss it with Seven as well. Seven was familiar with Dimitri's family, he'd known them since he was born. Dimitri considered Seven a brother, and Seven did the same for Dimitri. They told one another everything, so of course Dimitri was going to mention the invitation to Seven.

"Yeah?" Seven quirked an eyebrow, "are you going to go?"

With a shrug of his shoulders, Dimitri replied, "I'm not sure. I talked to Cairo about it, he would be my plus one if I went. I don't know if I want to deal with any of my family's shit though".

"What're you talking about?" Fionn asked curiously.

"My family has a history of being homophobic," Dimitri explained, "I'm sure some of them have changed, but I know they all haven't. I like my cousin Sandra, we've always had a good relationship, so I feel kind of guilty for not wanting to go. I just don't want to deal with the questions of if I'm still gay, and if I go with Cairo then he's going to get asked questions too".

"Text Sandra about your concerns, Dimitri," Seven said, "you and I both know she won't hold it against you if you decide not to go". 

Seven hated that Dimitri was still being affected by his family. He remembered how much his friend struggled when they were both in high school. Dimitri had to deal with the toxic locker room talk, and he wasn't able to escape it when he went home. His aunts and uncles weren't welcoming, and it had been hard for Seven to watch Dimitri deal with it.

"I guess I'll do that," Dimitri nodded his head. "I have two months to RSVP, so that's good".

Cairo quietly ate his food and wondered when Seven and Fionn were going to bring up what they wanted to discuss. The worse scenarios that Cairo had conjured up in his mind hadn't gone away. He was preparing himself for something bad, and he wondered if he would be able to handle it.

"Are you alright, Cairo?" Fionn asked, noticing the look on his friend's face. "You look stressed out".

Looking up from his plate, Cairo shook his head, "I'm fine, I'm just thinking".

"About?"

"What, uh... What you and Seven have to tell us," Cairo admitted sheepishly. "I didn't want to be the one to bring it up. It's your information to tell and I wanted you to tell it when you were ready".

Seven smiled in amusement, "that's kind of you".

Cairo shrugged his shoulders a little and looked back down at his plate, "thanks". He used his fork to poke at his broccoli, "is it something bad? Have you guys broken up?"

Fionn laughing caught Cairo's attention and he looked at his friend in curiosity. "Fuck no, mate. I'm gone for Seven, like hell I'd end it now". Fionn glanced at Seven who was still smiling, "you still like me, babe?"

"Hell yeah," Seven answered, "I wouldn't be fucking you if I didn't".

Dimitri shook his head and smiled, "well that covers that. I didn't think it was going to be a break up announcement. What is it then?"

Fionn cleared his throat and Cairo noticed the atmosphere change. It had gone from light to heavy very quickly and it made Cairo uncomfortable.

"Me and Cairo's lease on our apartment is ending soon, and uh..." Fionn paused for a moment to think. He wasn't sure how exactly he wanted to drop the news. He looked to Seven for help and the other man came to the rescue.

"I want Fionn to move in with me, and Fionn's down for it too," Seven explained.

Dimitri furrowed his eyebrows, "that's what you guys had to tell us? How does that affect Cairo and I?"

"Well if I move in with Seven, then..." Fionn trailed off and looked at Cairo.

"I can't afford to pay rent by myself," Cairo stated, understanding now why and how Fionn moving in with Seven would affect him.

"Exactly, which is why we wanted to talk to you about it. We can sign on for another year and continue to live there, and I can keep paying my half of the rent".

"You're rarely ever there, Fionn," Cairo stated, "it wouldn't make sense for you to sign on".

"Yeah, but I wouldn't leave you with the entire apartment's rent. I can keep paying my half and live with Seven".

Cairo shook his head and frowned, "well that's just dumb, I would never agree to have you pay for half of rent for a place that you're not even living in. I can just look for a roommate".

"Or," Fionn said, emphasizing the word, "you could maybe..."

"Move in with me," Dimitri said, finishing Fionn's sentence once he realized where he was going with it. "You could move in with me".

Dimitri wasn't opposed to the idea, it just bothered him a bit that he wasn't able to be the one to suggest Cairo move in. He and Cairo were moving at a comfortable pace, and Dimitri hadn't seen Cairo moving into his house anytime soon. He didn't want to scare Cairo away, and he was afraid that suggesting he move in was going to do just that. Dimitri would love for Cairo to move in, he'd been having thoughts of their domesticity and he was all for getting closer. He just wasn't sure if Cairo was ready for something like that.

"What do you think about that?" Dimitri asked, looking at Cairo for his answer.

Cairo hesitated, "I... I don't know".

The older man wasn't going to admit it, but seeing Cairo hesitate to answer the question made him a bit sad. He couldn't be angry with Cairo, if he wasn't ready for such a big step, then he just wasn't ready. Dimitri couldn't force Cairo to move in with him, and he certainly wasn't going to.

"Think about it," Seven suggested, "yeah? I can understand that it may be asking a lot of you both. Just because Fionn is planning to move in with me doesn't mean you have to do the same with Dimitri, Cairo".

"Yeah, Cairo, you've got options," Dimitri agreed, "just think about it, alright?"

Cairo was glad Seven and Fionn weren't breaking up, and he was happy the news they had to share was good. However, he wasn't expecting to be put on the spot about moving in with Dimitri. Cairo needed time to think, and he wondered if it made him look bad in Dimitri's eyes.

For the rest of dinner, Cairo didn't talk much. He was too in his head and he wasn't sure if he would be able to contribute to any of the conversations that were going on. He had planned to stay the night at Dimitri's house, but he had since changed his mind and wanted to go back to the apartment. He made it known after Seven and Fionn had left for the night and the kitchen and dishes had been cleaned.

"I'm sorry," Cairo apologized as he stood by Dimitri's front door, "I know I said I would stay, but I just..."

"It's okay," Dimitri reassured, he could clearly see how torn up Cairo was for changing his mind. "You're allowed to change your mind on things, Cairo. I'll see you tomorrow".

"Okay," Cairo whispered, he gave Dimitri a peck on the lips. "I just need time to think".

Dimitri nodded his head in understanding. Giving Cairo time to think scared him, but it was something he was going to have to do. Dimitri just hoped things would work out in his favor.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Dimitri was worried. He hadn't heard from Cairo throughout the week like he usually did. He was used to waking up late from night shifts to good morning texts. He was used to checking his phone throughout the day and seeing pictures of Mabel that Cairo had texted to him. Dimitri wasn't used to the sparse texts, and he wasn't stupid either. He knew what it meant, and it scared him.

"I think we might've messed up, mate," Fionn stated from where he was pushing a grocery cart as he walked beside Dimitri.

The two had texted one another and decided to meet at the grocery store to talk. Cairo and Fionn were getting low on food, and so was Dimitri. The men decided to kill two birds with one stone and just meet at the grocery store so they wouldn't have to make time to meet somewhere else later on.

Fionn looked to Dimitri who was simply carrying a basket in his hand. "Like Cairo's super stressed, I'm pretty sure he thinks I don't know, but he's always been kind of shit at hiding how he's feeling".

Frowning at Fionn's words, Dimitri replied, "why is he stressed?"

"It's because of what we talked about a week ago," Fionn murmured. He reached out his hand and grabbed a box of sugary cereal and tossed it into the cart. "He's overthinking like usual and stressing himself out".

"Have you talked to him about it?"

Dimitri grabbed his own cereal that contained less sugar and placed it in his basket. They continued on to another aisle.

Fionn shook his head, "I haven't. I was waiting to see if he was going to sort it out himself, but I have no idea why I thought he would. I'll talk to him about it and see what he's thinking when I get back to the apartment".

"Please do," Dimitri said, he picked up two boxes of pasta noodles. "We've barely texted since we all talked about the moving situation. It's not like Cairo to not text me, and I know he's trying to distance himself. I haven't texted him too much because I can tell that he needs space, but I'm afraid that if I give him too much then he won't come back".

"He'll come back, Dimitri," Fionn reassured, "Cairo's not going anywhere. I'll talk to him and see where his head is at. Reach out to him when you get home, I think it'll honestly do some good if you two sat down face to face and talk more about it. Seven and I knew it was a big decision when we brought it up to you guys. We didn't think you two would come up with an answer as soon as possible".

Dimitri nodded his head a little, "yeah, okay".

"I think you two talking will ease Cairo's mind. Moving in is a big deal, and he doesn't really know where you stand on it because he hasn't reached out to ask. Do you even want him to move in with you? He could really be stressing for no reason if you don't even want him to move in at all".

"I do want him to move in," Dimitri confessed, "I don't hate the idea at all. He can't afford to live in the apartment by himself, and I doubt he'd want to handle a new roommate. There's space for him in my house, and if there wasn't, then I wouldn't hesitate to make room for him. You know how much I like him, Fionn. Cairo is it for me, I'm certain of it. Sometimes I notice the domesticated things we do, and I think about how I really wouldn't mind it becoming a permanent thing. Cairo's at my house more often than not anyway, so it wouldn't really be an issue if he just ended up living there".

Fionn sighed in exasperation, "you have to tell him that, Dimitri". He lead the way to the dairy section, and once they were there, he picked up a half gallon of two percent milk. "Cairo's not going to ask because he's too afraid of your answer, and that's something he's going to have to work on. He's walking on eggshells because he doesn't want to mess up, and you're walking on eggshells because you don't want to scare him away. It's just poor communication all around. You guys can't be afraid to talk to each other".

"We talk... Just not about... Stuff like that," Dimitri sheepishly stated, "but I understand, you're right".

"Of course, mate, I'm always right," Fionn chuckled. He picked up a carton of almond milk and rolled his eyes before placing it in the cart.

"Is that for Seven?" Dimitri asked in amusement.

"Yes, I honestly have no idea why he prefers almond milk, it taste like shit to me". Fionn sighed, "but I adore him, so I'll buy it for him anyway. I also have to make sure I get him some more coffee, he's running low. Whenever I'm over I try to wake up before him and make him a pot before he wakes so it'll already be ready when he does finally get up".

Dimitri smiled, "that's sweet, I haven't said it yet, but congratulations on taking things to the next level. Like you said before, moving in together is a pretty big deal. I'm happy for you and Seven, I'm glad it's something you two both want and are ready for".

"Thanks, Dimitri," Fionn gushed, "I'm excited. I wasn't expecting anything when you introduced us, but I'm so glad it's worked out. I'm absolutely gone for him, mate, I swear. His personality just meshes really well with mine, and we argue over dumb shit, but it's all in good fun. Plus, he literally makes me melt in the bedroom so things really couldn't get any better than that".

"I really could've gone my whole life not knowing how good Seven is in bed, thank you," Dimitri stated. "I may have known him for twenty-six years, but some things have managed to stay private between us, one of those things being our sex lives".

"Well not anymore, mate," Fionn laughed.

Dimitri rolled his eyes and nudged Fionn so he could continue walking. The two finished collecting their groceries, and once they had paid for their items, they walked to their cars. Fionn told Dimitri he would talk to Cairo once he got back to the apartment, and Dimitri said he'd send Cairo a text about the two meeting in person.

Fionn wasn't sure what Cairo would be doing when he walked into the apartment after struggling to get the door open due to the grocery bags he had. The red haired man was pleased to see his friend lounging on the couch and watching TV. He didn't seem to look particularly busy which meant Fionn would be able to talk to Cairo right away. Cairo turned his head to watch Fionn walk through the door, and when he noticed the grocery bags, he sat up.

"I didn't know you were going to the grocery store," Cairo stated, "I would've gone with you. Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's no big deal, I was out already and I remembered we were getting low on food, so I just popped in," Fionn replied, he placed the bags on the kitchen counter. Cairo stood up and joined Fionn in the kitchen. He began to take items out of the bags and Fionn figured it would be a perfect time to spark up some important conversation. "So... Can I talk to you about something?"

"Is it more news?" Cairo asked, "I think I've honestly had enough of news, but I'll still listen anyway".

Smiling softly, Fionn shook his head, "it's not news. I just wanted to see where your head is at about the whole moving in with Dimitri thing. I can tell you're kind of stressing out about it".

Cairo bit his lip after hearing Fionn's words, "can you? I thought I was doing a pretty good job at hiding it".

"I think you underestimate how much I know you, Cairo".

"Apparently so," Cairo agreed, "but I'm okay, I'm figuring it out".

Fionn shook his head, "you're not, so let's talk about it. I won't take no for an answer".

The younger man sighed in acceptance and glanced at Fionn who had stopped putting away groceries to focus on Cairo. Cairo was nervous about expressing his feelings, and he needed something to do with his hands, so he began to pick up where Fionn left off with putting away items. It was also the perfect excuse for Cairo to not have to give Fionn his undivided attention.

"Do you not want to move in with Dimitri?" Fionn asked, "because if you don't, you can just say it. No one will be mad".

"If I don't move in then you won't move in with Seven, or you will and you'll continue to pay rent despite me saying not to. I don't want to hold you and Seven back. I don't want that kind of pressure on me".

"You're not holding Seven and I back, we're going to be fine regardless of what the outcome is. I appreciate what you've just told me, but you didn't answer my question. Do you want to move in with Dimitri, Cairo?"

"Yes," Cairo answered. Fionn waited for Cairo to say more because he was certain that he had more to say. Cairo wouldn't put himself through unnecessary stress for nothing. "But I'm scared".

"Why?"

Cairo sighed heavily as he put away the new box of cereal. "It makes things more real".

"Isn't that what you want? I don't understand".

"It is, but like... I just don't know what Dimitri sees in me, Fionn," Cairo confessed, "I really don't. I'm having a hard time understanding why Dimitri seems to be so okay with me moving in with him".

"Because he likes you," Fionn explained as he watched Cairo put the milk in the refrigerator, "isn't it obvious?"

"Yeah, but like... Why? I'm nothing special".

"That's what you think, mate, but you're wrong," Fionn shook his head. "Didn't we have a chat about you not speaking negatively about yourself? I know you being bullied has warped your view on yourself, but Cairo, you've got to stop talking so poorly about who you are".

"I know, but it's hard trying not to remember all of the things that used to be said about me when I was in school. I was the weird kid, Fionn, and people made it known. I'm just scared Dimitri will notice it if I move in with him. I'll have more chances to mess up because I'll be living there now".

Fionn had never been bullied, so he was never going to truly understand what it was like for Cairo growing up. However, he could sympathize with Cairo and make it known how sorry he was that it was something the young man had to experience. Sometimes Fionn wondered what Cairo was like before he was bullied, before he began to constantly worry about messing up and losing friends.

"I want to book another therapy session," Cairo murmured, "I think talking about it to Dr. Garcia will help".

"I think it will too," Fionn agreed, "and I also think talking to Dimitri about it will help as well. I know you're having a hard time understanding what he sees in you, but just know that it has to be something great if he wants you to move in".

Cairo sighed because he was tired, and he didn't have anymore groceries to put up. "Do you think he's mad at me? I've been kind of distant this past week".

"He's not mad, he's worried," Fionn assured.

Cairo noticed how Fionn spoke with such confidence, he quirked an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side, "how do you know that?"

"I might have, uh... Talked to him about things". Fionn groaned when Cairo continued to look at him expectantly, "we went grocery shopping together. We talked about it at the grocery store".

"Of course you guys did".

Cairo wasn't mad, he was amused more than anything else. He was grateful that Fionn cared for him so much that he took it upon himself to discuss things with Dimitri. Fionn had always cared for Cairo, and the younger man always made sure to let Fionn know just how appreciative he was. Cairo was glad he met Fionn while in college because he wasn't sure how different his life would be if he hadn't. A part of him wished Fionn had been introduced into his life sooner, but he was happy he was even able to meet him at all.

"We're still going to be close, right?" Cairo asked quietly, "when we move out of the apartment, we're still going to be close?"

"Me and you?" Fionn asked in confusion, he laughed once Cairo nodded his head. "Oh, you're taking the fucking piss, mate. You know you're not getting rid of me regardless of where we both live. I may love Seven, but that doesn't mean that I still can't have love for you too. We're always going to be close, Cairo".

"You love Seven?" Cairo smiled.

"I do, but don't tell him I told you," Fionn rolled his eyes fondly, "he'll get a big ego about it".

Cairo cooed softly, "Fionn, that's so sweet".

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, moving on".

Cairo opened his mouth to speak, but before he could do so, his phone vibrated from where he left it on the couch.

"That's Dimitri texting you," Fionn stated, "please say yes to his message".

"Okay?" Cairo was confused, but he still crossed the room and picked up his phone. He read the text Dimitri had sent him and figured out why Fionn told him to say yes. Dimitri texted Cairo asking if it would be okay for the two of them to meet face to face to further discuss the situation of moving in. Dimitri admitted to wanting to hear Cairo's concerns, and he wanted to work through them together.

"So what did you say?" Fionn asked once Cairo had texted Dimitri his response.

With an amused chuckle, Cairo asked, "what do you think I said? We're going to meet so we can talk more about things. I'm nervous about it, but I know everything will be fine".

Fionn nodded his head, "that's the spirit, speak it into existence and it'll come true or something like that. Now come back in here so we can figure out what we're going to eat for dinner".

Cairo smiled and joined Fionn again in the kitchen. He wasn't going to admit it, but knowing Dimitri was still willing to speak to him after he had distanced himself, made Cairo feel good. He knew he owed the older man an apology, and Cairo was more than willing to give him one. He just wanted things to work out between them.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

"Have you ever been so nervous that you feel like you could vomit?"

Fionn stared at Cairo after hearing his question. He thought for a moment and slowly nodded his head.

"Maybe once when I was younger, but not recently. Do you feel that way now?"

Cairo nodded, "yeah, I feel like I could be sick right now. I'm super nervous".

"Don't be, everything will be fine. You look great and I know you'll have a wonderful time tonight, mate".

Fionn patted Cairo's shoulder and smiled. Dimitri had asked Cairo out on a date. The older man realized that he and Cairo had never really been on one yet, and he wanted that to change. They were going to have dinner, and it would be the perfect time to talk about the things that really needed to be discussed. Cairo was nervous due to the fact he had no idea where exactly Dimitri was taking him, or how the night was going to go.

"Do I really look good? Or are you just saying that to be nice? These are the fanciest clothes I own". Cairo pulled at the collar of his navy blue button up shirt before smoothing out his black slacks. "Thank you for letting me borrow your dress shoes".

"No problem, I'm just glad we wear the same size shoe," Fionn shrugged his shoulders, "and yes, you do really look good. Dimitri's one lucky guy, I'm telling you. Do we need to have a pep talk?"

Cairo hesitantly nodded, "yeah".

"Alright," Fionn pressed his hands together and rubbed them against one another. "Like I said before, you're going to have a wonderful time. You and Dimitri are going to have great food and good conversation. You're going to be honest and speak freely about your concerns, and all will be perfect. You've got this".

"I've got this," Cairo stated with a firm nod of his head. "I've got this".

"You do," Fionn agreed.

The doorbell rang and Cairo looked to Fionn, his eyes widening in surprise. "Can you answer the door?"

"Cairo, we literally just got done saying you had this, mate".

"Yeah, but I really didn't believe it when I said it. I thought I'd have more time to solidify it in my mind, but he's early".

Fionn groaned in faux annoyance and turned around, he walked out of Cairo's room while muttering to himself about Cairo taking baby steps in the right direction. It'd take time for Cairo to work out his unnecessary bouts of nervousness. Fionn couldn't fault Cairo for feeling the way he did. He knew his friend was trying his best and that was honestly all Fionn could really ask of him. If Cairo needed Fionn to answer the door, then he would.

The first thing Fionn did when he opened the front door and saw Dimitri standing in front of him was whistle. The man was dressed head to toe in a suit. He had on a black blazer and beneath it he was wearing a charcoal grey button up shirt. Dimitri's tie was a darker grey and his black suit pants were free of wrinkles. His dress shoes shined and his cufflinks gleamed.

"You clean up nice, mate," Fionn smiled. He eyed the bouquet of red roses in Dimitri's hand. "You're pulling out all the stops, aren't you? Those for me?"

Dimitri laughed in amusement at Fionn's words, "hi, Fionn, sadly the flowers aren't for you".

"Well that's a shame," Fionn shook his head and moved to the side so Dimitri could enter the apartment. "Cairo will be out in a few minutes".

"Is he nervous?" Dimitri asked quietly, he didn't want Cairo to hear him.

With a nod of his head, Fionn answered, "very. He said he was so nervous he thought he could be sick".

Dimitri frowned, "he's that nervous? Why?"

"I have no idea," Fionn answered honestly, "I told him you guys were going to have a great time. You know how he can be, Dimitri".

"Yeah," Dimitri sighed.

The older man was a bit bummed that Cairo had worked himself up into being so nervous. He didn't want the man to feel anxious for their date. Cairo had nothing to be nervous about. The two were just going to have a nice dinner and talk. It was nothing they hadn't done before. Dimitri supposed the subject matter and setting was what was causing Cairo to stress himself out. While Dimitri was thinking about ways to make Cairo feel more comfortable, the younger man walked out of his room. Once he saw Dimitri, Cairo wanted to immediately turn around and retreat back to his room.

"Oh, shit," Cairo swore, "Dimitri, I'm underdressed".

Dimitri smiled and shook his head, "no, you're not, you look beautiful".

This was the first time Dimitri was seeing Cairo since Seven and Fionn had told the two of them their news. That occurrence had been a week ago, and Dimitri never wanted to go an entire week without seeing Cairo in person ever again. He was so used to Cairo spending time at his house that he missed the younger man whenever he wasn't there. Seeing him now made Dimitri happy, he didn't care what Cairo was wearing. He could've been wearing dirty pajamas and Dimitri wouldn't have minded at all.

"These are for you," Dimitri stated as he held the flowers out for Cairo to take. The younger man did so after walking up to Dimitri. 

"Thank you, they're very pretty. You look really handsome, by the way".

"Thank you, it's alright I'm a bit early, yeah?"

Cairo nodded, "yeah, it's alright".

Fionn took it upon himself to reach out and carefully take the roses from Cairo when he noticed his friend looking at them with uncertainty. "I'll put them in a vase for you, you two head out and have a good time".

"Thank you, Fionn," Cairo replied, he gave him a quick hug before hesitantly taking Dimitri's hand into his own.

The two left the apartment and walked to Dimitri's car. The drive to the restaurant was quiet. Cairo wasn't sure whether or not he was ready to spark up a conversation yet, so he opted to stay quiet. He hadn't a clue where Dimitri was taking them, so he tried to guess based on the scenery. Cairo knew the restaurant was going to be one he hadn't eaten at before once Dimitri made it to the wealthier side of the city.

"Dimitri, where are we going?" Cairo suddenly asked, his voice quiet.

"It's a surprise".

"We're going somewhere fancy, I know that," Cairo hummed, "and fancy usually means expensive".

"It does," Dimitri agreed, "but you don't have to worry about the price".

"You're not taking us to that new restaurant that opened like two months ago, are you?"

Cairo received an answer when Dimitri simply turned his head and smiled at him. Even though Cairo had interpreted Dimitri's smile as a 'yes', he was still surprised when the two had pulled in the parking lot of the restaurant. From what Cairo could see, there were no parking spots available, and Cairo wondered how long the wait time would be. He didn't mind waiting for a table, he figured it would give him and Dimitri time to talk.

Dimitri pulled alongside the valet curb-stand and Cairo curiously watched as everything played out. The man behind the curb-stand walked to the driver's side and opened Dimitri's door. Dimitri got out of the car and greeted him before walking to the passenger side and opening Cairo's door for him. After getting out too, Cairo watched as Dimitri received his valet ticket and the older man placed it into his wallet for safe keeping.

"Have you been here before?" Cairo asked as he walked up the walkway with Dimitri beside him.

With a shake of his head, Dimitri answered, "I haven't, but I heard the food is really good, and so is the service".

Dimitri held the door open to the restaurant and allowed for Cairo to walk through first. The atmosphere screamed elegance and Cairo knew immediately that this was a place where he didn't belong. He didn't say anything to Dimitri about his revelation because he knew the older man wouldn't agree. Even though Cairo didn't think he belonged there, he did think the restaurant was very beautiful. There were too many wine colored drapes for him to count and the hardwood floor was so dark Cairo thought it had been stained with black ink. Cairo was still admiring the interior when Dimitri took his hand in his hand and began to follow behind the hostess who was guiding them somewhere.

"Where are we going?" Cairo asked as he glanced behind him at the people who were waiting to be seated. "Don't we have to wait?"

"We're going to our table, I made a reservation".

"Oh, okay".

When the two had been seated, Dimitri raised his arms a bit and waved his hands in the air to motion around the room. "Surprise".

Cairo smiled softly and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could their waiter had walked up to the table and greeted themselves.

"Hello, my name is Evan and I'll be your waiter for the night. How are you doing tonight? May I start you off with any drinks? Perhaps a bottle of wine?"

Dimitri looked at Cairo for an answer and Cairo shrugged his shoulders, "oh, uh... I mean, I like wine. White though, not red. Red is too tart for me".

"We'll have a bottle," Dimitri stated after taking the time to smile in amusement. He went on to quickly glance over the wine menu and ordered which one he thought would taste the best. Cairo let him because even though he drank wine, he drank it very sparingly. As long as the wine was white, he was sure he would enjoy the taste. Evan asked to see both Dimitri's and Cairo's IDs to make sure they were both of age to drink, and then he left to retrieve the wine.

"This place is really pretty," Cairo said as he flipped open the dinner menu. "The chicken cost twenty-seven dollars, what the fuck?"

Dimitri laughed in surprise, "Cairo".

"Sorry, sorry," Cairo apologized, "that was kind of loud. I don't want to know how much the wine cost if the chicken is that much".

"I won't tell you then," Dimitri replied, "do you have a taste for something in particular?"

Shaking his head, Cairo answered, "not really, whatever looks good and doesn't cost an arm and a leg".

"Get whatever you want, we're on a date and I'm treating you".

Cairo stared at Dimitri and for a brief moment he wondered how he could be so lucky. He watched Dimitri quirk an eyebrow and grin, "why're you looking at me like that?"

"No reason," Cairo whispered, he cleared his throat and looked over the menu, "the lobster tail sounds good. What are you thinking about getting?"

"I think I'm going to get the New York strip, I haven't had a good piece of steak in a really long time".

Once Evan returned with their bottle of wine, Dimitri and Cairo ordered their food. As Dimitri was pouring wine into Cairo's glass he decided to ask a question.

"How have you been this past week?"

Cairo sighed and figured now would be a good time to bring up the elephant in the room. "I've been okay, but listen... Dimitri, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have distanced myself the way I did. I just needed time to think, you know? It wasn't the right way to go about things at all".

"It's okay, I was more worried than mad at you. I remembered what you told me, you said you weren't going to leave, and I trust what you say. I don't think you would lie to me about something like that".

"I wouldn't," Cairo stated, his voice serious. "I really just needed time to think, that's all. I had a lot of different things to think about, and I had to sort out my feelings about moving in".

"What were you feeling?"

Dimitri placed the wine bottle on the table after pouring a small amount of wine into his glass. He was driving back home, so he was only going to enjoy just a bit of wine.

"I was scared and nervous, and confused too... I'm still kind of feeling all of those things actually".

Dimitri shook his head a little because he didn't understand why Cairo would be scared or confused about moving in. He could understand him being nervous. If it were Dimitri moving into another person's home, he would be nervous too.

"What're you scared and confused about?"

"Moving into your house makes things more real," Cairo confessed, "and like, I want that, I really do... But at the same time, I'm scared. I have the potential to mess up more if I'm living underneath the same roof as you. We work well together now, but what if that changes when we actually live together? Everything has been really good, and it's like I'm holding my breath just waiting for shit to go wrong".

"Don't be," Dimitri shook his head for a second time, "I don't think you should be scared. I honestly don't think much of anything will change if you move in. It's almost like you live there already, Cairo. Why're you confused?"

Cairo opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Evan was returning to the table with their food. Cairo was secretly glad for Evan's appearance because it gave him more time to figure out how he wanted to answer Dimitri's question. It was hard for Cairo to put his insecurities out there, but he had to if he wanted him and Dimitri to move forward. Once Evan had left the table, Cairo glanced at Dimitri and took a deep breath in.

"What do you see in me?" He asked.

Dimitri blinked and furrowed his eyebrows, "what do you mean?"

"I don't know what you see in me. I've been treated like shit by my peers for a large part of my life, my family wants nothing to do with me, my only friend is Fionn. I'm having a hard time understanding what is it that you seem to see and that you seem to like so much. I've been stressing myself out for the past week trying to figure it out because I just can't seem to come up with anything. I figured it would be a good idea to just ask so I could stop wondering, so... So what do you see in me, Dimitri?"

Dimitri stared at Cairo as he tried to figure out how he wanted to answer Cairo's question. The man saw so many different things in Cairo, and he didn't think he could possibly condense it all down in such a short amount of time. Dimitri briefly took the time to think about how sad it made him to hear Cairo talk down on himself. Cairo didn't think he had any redeeming qualities and that pained Dimitri immensely. Dimitri just didn't see what Cairo saw in himself. There were so many ways Dimitri could answer Cairo's question. He thought for a few more seconds before settling on the best answer he could come up with.

"I see everything".

Dimitri answered the question so easily that Cairo was a bit taken aback. His answer surprised Cairo as well because it wasn't what he was expecting at all.

Looking at Dimitri skeptically, Cairo cleared his throat, "everything is a lot, Dimitri".

The older man nodded his head a bit, "I know". He waited for Cairo to say something, but when it became clear that he wasn't going to, Dimitri continued to speak. "I see a lot in you, Cairo, so the word everything is very fitting. When I look at you, the first thing I see is an all around beautiful person. You're very beautiful, both inside and out, I don't know if anyone else has ever told you that before. If they haven't, then they should've. The second thing I see is your kindness. Cairo, you are so kind, do you know that? You treat people with so much respect, regardless of if they deserve it or not. You treat people the way you would want to be treated and it's something I really admire about you. I see compassion and authenticity, I see someone who is supportive and inspiring, I see someone who is brave, and who is resilient".

Dimitri paused so he could think about how he wanted to say what else he was thinking. His voice was soft when he continued to speak, "I see someone who has been hurt before, and someone who is way too hard on theirself because of it. You overthink a lot and tend to be nervous more often than not. I see someone who is trying their absolute best, and I see someone who thinks that their absolute best isn't enough, when in all actuality it really is. I see someone who deserves nothing but the best, and has yet to receive such thing".

Leaning back in his chair, Dimitri looked Cairo in the eye and added, "I see you, Cairo".

"I'm going to cry," Cairo announced as he worked to blink away the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

Cairo was feeling a lot of things at the moment. Listening to Dimitri rattle off all of the things he saw in Cairo overwhelmed the younger man. He didn't know what Dimitri's answer was going to be, but he certainly wasn't expecting that.

"Happy tears, I hope," Dimitri replied.

Cairo sniffled and nodded his head, "that's literally the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, Dimitri. You make me feel really important, and that's not something I've ever really received from anyone other than Fionn. I'm rarely nervous around you anymore, and that's something I absolutely love. I'm still scared to lose you, it's a constant fear that I think is always going to be in the back of my mind, but I'm comfortable around you. Besides Fionn, I can't remember the last person I've ever felt that way with".

Dimitri wasn't sure if he wanted to feel sad for Cairo, or happy. He was sad he had only experienced such a feeling with Fionn, but he was happy that he could be the second.

"I want to take the next step of moving in with you," Cairo stated, "I really do".

Dimitri smiled, "I want you to as well, we'll work it out and start the process of moving you in".

"Okay," Cairo whispered, he eyed his glass of wine. "Can we cheers it?"

"Of course," Dimitri picked up his glass of wine and watched Cairo do the same. The two gently tapped their glasses together and Dimitri spoke, "to you moving in".

"To me moving in," Cairo grinned, "cheers".

"Cheers".

The two sipped from their glasses and Cairo stared down at the table. He was happy, and he was trying his best to contain it. The past week was filled with so much uncertainty, and to finally know that it was all worth it was what made Cairo also feel relieved. Things were going well with Dimitri, and Cairo hoped they would stay that way.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

"So many boxes," Cairo murmured as he picked up a large box from the living room and carried it into his room. He picked up a stack of clothes from his bed and placed them in the box. He did this with the other stacks of clothing and once the box was full he folded the flaps down. From where he was standing, he could hear the front door open and close.

"Cairo, mate, we're back!" Fionn shouted.

"We got more tape and markers!" Seven announced.

"And food," Dimitri added, "I got your favorite".

Cairo smiled, especially at Dimitri's words. He walked out of his room and met the three men in the living room. Seven had placed the rolls of packing tape and box of markers onto the coffee table. Dimitri was pulling out a wrapped sandwich from a brown paper bag and he held it out for Cairo to take. Once Cairo did, the younger man looked at Dimitri and puckered his lips.

"Kiss, please," Cairo said, humming in appreciation when Dimitri obliged. "Thank you".

"What did you do while we were gone?" Fionn asked as he reached into the paper bag Dimitri had passed off to him.

"I finished packing my clothes," Cairo answered, he unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite of it. "I'm going to pack up my miscellaneous stuff next, I'll use a small box because I don't have much".

"How many boxes do we have left? Do you think we can get the kitchen and living room stuff in them or will we need to buy more?"

Cairo eyed the flattened boxes, "there's like... Seven left. Well technically six since I'll be using one in a few minutes. I think we'll be able to fit everything. We honestly don't have that much stuff, Fionn. I think we'll be fine". Cairo shrugged his shoulders and continued to eat his sandwich, "and if not then we'll just buy more boxes. No big deal".

Fionn nodded and began to eat his own sandwich. While the two ate, Seven eyed the living room furniture. It was going to be the last thing to leave the apartment. He and Dimitri were going to carry out the couch and the chair, but he was curious as to where it was going to go.

"What're we doing with the furniture in here?" Seven asked.

Fionn swallowed the food that was in his mouth and shrugged his shoulders, "we decided to just toss it. Dimitri, is it legal for us to put it on the curb so someone can just take it if they want it?"

Dimitri shook his head from where he was leaning against a wall, "nope, you could get a fine if you do. Three hundred dollars, but we knock it down to one hundred if it gets paid immediately".

"Okay, so we won't do that then," Fionn stated.

"We could just donate it," Cairo suggested. "Once we get everything packed up, I can call around to see if one of the thrift stores will pick it up".

With a pleased look on his face, Fionn smiled, "sounds good to me". He looked to Dimitri and quirked an eyebrow, Cairo watched his friend's smile change to one of mischief. "Dimitri".

Dimitri noticed the change too and eyed Fionn warily, "...yes?"

"Have you ever done anything illegal before?"

Seven chuckled in amusement at Fionn's question while Dimitri rolled his eyes.

"I have," Dimitri answered, "when I was in middle school".

"What'd you do?"

"It wasn't anything outrageous," Dimitri shrugged his shoulders, "I just stole some candy from the store".

"Well that's boring," Fionn frowned, "I thought you were going to be a wild child or something, and then it would be pretty ironic that you grew up to become a police officer".

Cairo smiled a little and watched Dimitri as he grinned, "nope, I'm sorry that I wasn't very rebellious. If you want any stories about rebellion then you'll have to discuss it with Seven".

"Oh, yeah?" Fionn turned his head and peered at Seven with a raised eyebrow, "what's he talking about, babe?"

Seven looked at Fionn and sighed. He had yet to tell the younger man about his rebellious phase. It wasn't something he was hiding, it had just never been brought up in conversation until now. Seven didn't speak on it much, but it wasn't forbidden. Dimitri bringing it up wasn't a problem because Seven had told him so. If it had been something Seven wanted to keep a secret, Dimitri wouldn't have said a word about it.

"Tenth grade was shitty," Seven began, "my parents were getting a divorce and I didn't know how to handle it so I acted out and rebelled. I did a lot of dumb shit. I skipped school to drink alcohol that my "friends" and I stole, and I smoked way too much weed and popped Adderall pills like they were fucking candy. I can laugh about it now because I made it out onto the other side, but back when I was fifteen, I was a mess".

Cairo watched as Fionn looked at Seven with sad eyes, he reached a hand out and placed it on the back of Seven's neck. "You never told me that," Fionn spoke, his voice soft, "why?"

"I don't know, it's just never come up in conversation until now," Seven shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not afraid to talk about it, but I just figured no one wants to listen to me talk about my cry for help, you know?"

Dimitri and Cairo nodded their heads in understanding while Fionn was the only one to hesitate. He shook his head a little, "I don't... I'm sorry. I've never been discouraged to talk about my feelings. Is that... Is that something you all really had to deal with while growing up?"

"Welcome to growing up a Black male," Dimitri stated, "my parents were pretty good at raising my brothers and I to express ourselves whenever we were hurting. It's kind of a thing though... Black males having to grow up with the idea that they aren't supposed to show emotions. It's getting better, but the idea is still around sadly".

"That's really sad," Fionn murmured, "did your mom's side of the family think that way too?" The question had been posed to Seven. His mother's side of the family was Mexican, while his father's side was African American.

Seven brought his hand up and made a "so-so" gesture. "Yeah, a bit, but it might've just been because I was a boy. My sisters' emotions were tended to more than mine because they were girls. When it came to my mother's side, I was told to be strong because I was a boy, and with my father's side, I was told to be strong because I was Black".

Fionn frowned, "I'm sorry".

"Don't be," Seven replied, "I don't hold any animosity towards them anymore, and I know that not all Mexican or Black families are like that. Dimitri said it himself, his parents raised him to show emotion. Mine didn't, it's just how it was for me".

Fionn couldn't wrap his head around Seven's words. He had always been encouraged by his parents to express himself regardless of whatever emotion he was feeling. It was hard having to learn about Seven's rebellious phase and the reason why he never brought it up.

"You guys haven't avoided talking about anything because you didn't think we'd care, have you?" Fionn asked, looking to Dimitri and Cairo.

"I haven't," Dimitri answered, "my parents weren't like my aunts or uncles. I could be as emotional as I wanted and they didn't have a problem with it. The only thing I struggled with when I was a kid was being gay".

Fionn turned his attention to Cairo once he was satisfied with Dimitri's answer. Cairo was able to see how upset Fionn seemed to be about Seven's words. Fionn loved Seven, so Cairo could understand why it was upsetting him to hear about Seven having to deal with such negative things. Cairo knew Fionn loved him as well, and he was tempted to lie in order to not put Fionn through anymore distress. He didn't want to lie though, and he knew he'd feel guilty if he did. Cairo glanced at Dimitri who was looking at him too, and he carefully cleared his throat.

"Well, I mean..." He trailed off and fiddled with his fingers, "I used to cut myself, so..."

"What?" Fionn asked just as Dimitri stood up straight and said, "what did you just say?"

"I haven't done it since I've moved here and met Fionn," Cairo rushed out. "I did it when I was still in middle school and high school".

Dimitri's mind was reeling. He knew Cairo had been bullied, but it never crossed his mind how the young man had dealt with it. Fionn was feeling the same things as Dimitri, and those feelings were surprise, disappointment, and confusion. Fionn couldn't understand why and how this was something he was just now finding out about. Dimitri was struggling to remember if he had ever seen a scar on Cairo's skin.

"I've never noticed any scars," Dimitri murmured.

"Well, yeah, that's because they're on my upper thighs," Cairo explained. "I never cut anywhere else because I didn't want anyone to see and find out. I was already known as the weird kid, I didn't want to become the weird kid who cut himself. You haven't seen them yet because I've never been around you without my boxers on".

Fionn shook his head in disbelief, "why didn't you tell me?"

"It's just like Seven said," Cairo began, "it's never come up in conversation and I didn't think anyone would want to listen to me talk about it".

"What is going on?" Fionn asked in exasperation, "please, don't keep things in. Do you guys need to go to therapy?"

Seven laughed, "probably, I've never been to therapy. My parents dealt with my shit themselves, I'm surprised they didn't send me away".

"I've been to trauma therapy twice," Dimitri informed.

"Trauma therapy?" Cairo questioned, looking to Dimitri for an answer.

"I had to go through a round of therapy sessions after I shot and killed two people. My captain made it mandatory. I was really affected by what I'd done, and I couldn't get back on the field until I'd seen a therapist".

Fionn sighed from where was still standing in the kitchen, "this conversation has taken quite the turn. I didn't think we'd broach such topics, I'm glad we did though". Fionn looked around the room, "I love you guys, you're my best mates. I want the best for each and every one of you".

Cairo cooed softly, "that's so sweet, Fionn. We love you too".

"We do," Dimitri agreed while Seven simply nodded his head.

"We need to get back to packing," Seven reminded, "we're on a time schedule".

"You're right," Cairo said, "Fionn and I will finish packing up our rooms and then we'll move onto the kitchen".

Both young men crumpled up their sandwich wrappers before tossing them in the trash. After picking up a small box, Cairo retreated to his room with Dimitri followed behind him while Fionn did the same with Seven. Cairo didn't have a lot of things to pack, so the box that he had grabbed would be big enough to hold his things. Dimitri walked to Cairo's dresser and began to pick up items so the process would move along faster.

Cairo bit his lip lightly as he stood in front of his bookshelf. He picked up a book and leafed through the pages before looking over his shoulder at Dimitri.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" Cairo asked warily.

Dimitri turned his head and furrowed his eyebrows, "what do I have to be mad about?

"About me not..." Cairo trailed off before continuing to speak, "telling you about my self-harm".

"Why would I be mad about you hurting yourself, Cairo? I'm not mad at you for that. I'm heartbroken over it, that's something I wouldn't want anyone to experience, especially you".

"Okay, I just wanted to see how you were feeling about it. I'm over a year clean, and I have no intention to do it again. I'm in a way better headspace then I was when I was still in school".

Dimitri smiled softly, "I'm glad, and if for some reason you ever get back in that headspace, then you can talk to me. You don't have to resort to hurting yourself ever again, alright?"

"Yeah," Cairo nodded his head a little, "alright".

Dimitri crossed the room to press a kiss to Cairo's forehead before returning to the dresser. The two made small talk as they began to pack up Cairo's things. Dimitri had moved to sit down on the floor so he could reach the items Cairo had slid beneath his dresser. The man pulled out a shallow box and before he could pack it away, something on the box caught his attention. There was a picture taped to the box's top and from what Dimitri could tell, it was a picture of a young Cairo, an even younger girl and boy, and an older woman and man.

"Is this your family?" Dimitri asked quietly.

Cairo turned around and his eyes immediately found the box in Dimitri's hands. Cairo hummed softly in affirmation before walking over and sitting down next to him. He crossed his legs and peered at the picture. "That's my sister, Amaya, and my brother, Miles," Cairo murmured, "and my mom and dad. This picture is from a while ago, that's why I look so young".

Dimitri wasn't sure what he should say, so he didn't say anything. Cairo shook his head, "this is my picture box, I forgot all about it..."

"Do you want to look through it before I pack it up?"

"No, thank you," Cairo answered, "there are a lot of pictures of my family in there, and if I look through it then I'm going to get upset".

"Okay," Dimitri responded, "let's put it away then".

Dimitri passed the box off to Cairo who then put it into the moving box. Cairo peered down and stared at the family photo for a few more seconds before looking away.

"I really miss them," he whispered, "and I bet they don't even miss me".

"Don't say that," Dimitri murmured, "you don't know that, Cairo". 

With a shake of his head, Cairo replied, "I do, they don't miss me, Dimitri. I haven't heard from any of them since I've moved here".

"Have you tried calling?"

"I used to, but after I kept going straight to voicemail, I just stopped trying. I've gotten the message loud and clear. They don't want anything to do with me. Do you know how much that hurts? The feeling of having your own family not want to talk to you? I used to deal with kids at school not wanting to speak to me, but I never expected for my own blood to eventually feel the exact same way".

Dimitri pulled Cairo into a hug and as he was rubbing the younger man's back, Cairo sniffled and pressed his face into the crook of Dimitri's neck. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I'm not trying to throw a pity party".

"I didn't think you were," Dimitri reassured, "I understand what it feels like to not have your family love you, Cairo. I had to go through it when my extended family eventually found out I was gay. Aunts, uncles, and cousins that I was initially very close with quickly distanced themselves when they found out I wasn't straight. These were people who cared about me from the day I was born that left the second they found out I liked men. I know what it's like to have your family turn their back on you. It's a pain that cuts deep, and it's one that never really goes away".

Cairo was glad that Dimitri was able to understand. Fionn didn't get it, and he was so happy that his friend didn't, but it was comforting to know that Cairo had someone who understood the feeling of abandonment.

"Do you guys need any tape?" Seven asked as he walked into the room, unaware of what he was walking in on. He noticed the melancholy atmosphere immediately and took a step back. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Cairo answered, he leaned out of Dimitri's embrace. "I just got a bit down".

"About what?" Seven questioned, he hoped he would be able to offer some sort of kind words to help the situation.

"My family... We've fallen out of touch and I haven't spoken with them in a long time. They don't want to talk to me. I just miss them is all".

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Seven breathed. He motioned to Dimitri and himself before pointing down the hallway to Fionn's room, "well we're your family, and we like talking to you. I know it's hard not having your blood family in your life, but sometimes all you need is really good friends to make up for it".

Cairo smiled softly at Seven's words, "you're right, Seven, thank you".

"You're welcome," Seven replied, he held up the tape in his hand, "tape?"

"Just a strip, please".

Seven ripped off a strip and handed it to Cairo. The younger man used one hand to fold down the flaps on the box and the other to place the tape over them. He sighed and looked at Dimitri and then at Seven, "time for the kitchen".

Cairo stood to his feet and picked up the box. He carried it out of his room and Seven and Dimitri lingered behind.

"Is he alright?" Seven asked quietly.

Dimitri nodded his head, "I think so, he just got a bit down. He saw a picture of his family and it just caused him to think about them".

Seven nodded his head as well, "okay, are you alright? I bet hearing about the self-harm thing was hard for you. It was hard for me to hear and I don't have the same connection with Cairo like you do".

"I'm alright, Seven," Dimitri reassured, "finding out about it makes me sad, and a little angry with the people who caused it, but... I'm alright. Thank you for what you said to Cairo about being his family".

"Of course, man. I really like him, you know that".

Dimitri smiled as he was grateful for Seven. His friend was one of the most important people in his life, and he was happy Seven cared for Cairo just like Dimitri did. Dimitri cared for Fionn as well, and it was evident Fionn felt the same way. Today hadn't been what Dimitri was expecting, but the man wasn't upset with the outcome at all.


	20. Chapter Twenty

"Where's Mabel?"

Cairo looked to his coworker, Sam, after posing the question. Cairo had just returned to the pet store from his break and he was expecting to go to the cat corner so he could greet Mabel like he usually did. However, as Cairo stood outside of the room and peered through the glass, his eyes failed to find the older, orange tabby.

"Who?" Sam asked as he furrowed his thick eyebrows in confusion. Unlike Cairo, Sam wasn't into making sure he remembered the cats' names. He simply tended to their needs and that was all. He didn't try to form a connection like Cairo did. 

"The, um... The orange tabby cat", Cairo pressed his pointer finger against the glass. He was pointing to where Mabel's bed usually was placed within the room. "She would always lay right there. Where is she?"

"Oh!" Sam exclaimed, "oh, yeah. She got adopted while you were on break".

Cairo blinked in surprise and his mouth parted in disbelief. "What did you just say?"

"She got adopted," Sam repeated slowly, he shook his head, "can you believe it? She's been here for ages. I kind of thought she would die here... Good for her though, right?"

Swallowing down the newly formed lump in his throat, Cairo nodded. "Yeah, it is... I'll be right back... I have to get something from the, uh... Supply room".

"Okay".

Sam watched Cairo leave for the supply room, and without a second thought he went back to tending to the cash register. Cairo walked to the back of the store and he used his set of keys to unlock the small supply room that contained a lot of the food and bedding for the animals. He entered the room and turned on the light before quietly closing the door behind him.

"Don't cry," Cairo whispered, "don't cry, don't cry".

Cairo tilted his head up to the ceiling in hopes that the tears that were welling up in his eyes wouldn't fall. His stomach felt sickly and like it was in knots due to hearing the news of Mabel being adopted. Cairo had always known that Mabel wasn't his and that she could be adopted at any moment, but he hadn't expected for that moment to actually happen. Mabel was an older cat, so Cairo figured no one would be interested in adopting her. There was only a small part of him that was happy for Mabel, she would no longer have to lay around in the cat corner all day. However, the larger part of Cairo was devastated. The man was disappointed Mabel was really gone, and that she had been adopted while he was on his break. He didn't have the chance to say goodbye and make sure she was going home to a suitable owner.

There wasn't anything Cairo could do about the situation he had been put in, and that's exactly what he told himself. Mabel had been adopted and she wasn't coming back. Cairo took the next few minutes to accept the outcome before leaving the supply room. He wasn't happy about what had happened, but he wasn't going to cry about it at work.

"Are you alright?" Sam asked once Cairo had returned to the front counter.

"I'm fine," Cairo answered, "I just wish I had been there for when Mabel got adopted, I'm just a bit bummed about it".

"Well if it makes you feel any better, the person who adopted her seemed to know what they were talking about when it came to cats. I didn't ask, but it was obvious they either did their research or had a cat before".

Cairo smiled softly, "that actually does kind of make me feel better. I was worried she hadn't gone to a good home".

"Oh, don't worry about that," Sam laughed, "they bought her one of those cat hammocks that can be stuck to the window. Mabel's going to be chilling looking at birds and squirrels all day instead of having to deal with the rowdy kittens in the cat room".

Cairo was still upset about Mabel's absence, but hearing that she would be much more comfortable made up for some of the negative emotions he was feeling. The rest of Cairo's work hours went by in a snail's pace. The man hadn't realized how much Mabel kept him entertained throughout the day until she was no longer around. Cairo figured he would have to find a new animal to form a strong connection with, but then he decided against it. He didn't want to have to deal with the pain of losing another animal to adoption again.

Once Cairo had gotten off of work, he drove himself back to his apartment. It was the last day the lease would be in Fionn's name. Fionn and Cairo only had a few more boxes to place in their cars and take to Seven and Dimitri's homes. Cairo knew Fionn was finalizing everything with their landlord, so he wasn't surprised when he walked into the apartment and found it empty. The couch, chair, and coffee table had been picked up by a local thrift store a few days ago, so Cairo decided to stand in the kitchen. He leaned against the counter and surveyed the kitchen and living room. He had made sure to give both areas a thorough cleaning because he didn't want neither him or Fionn to be hit with a cleaning fee.

"I need a drink," Cairo murmured as he placed a finger against his temple. "This day has been too long".

It wasn't over either. Once Cairo placed the last of his things into his car, his next step would be driving over to Dimitri's house so he could continue to unpack. Over the past few days, Dimitri had begun to make room for another person to move into his house. Cairo was dreading having to unpack because he knew it would take a bit of time. He figured it would be easier unpacking than it was packing, and he believed seeing Dimitri would help uplift his mood.

"Cairo, mate, you in here?" Fionn asked as he entered the apartment.

"Yes," Cairo answered softly.

"What's the matter?" Fionn questioned, his green eyes observed the younger man. "Why do you seem so down?"

Cairo sighed before confessing, "I'm just feeling a little drained at the moment. Mabel got adopted while I was on break, and the rest of my shift just seemed to last forever. I have to unpack when I get to Dimitri's and I'm not really looking forward to it, but I know seeing Dimitri will lift my mood some".

Fionn nodded his head in understanding, "I'm sure it will, and I'm sorry to hear about Mabel. That really sucks, mate. I bet she's having a great time wherever she is now. Also, at least we're done dealing with the apartment so we no longer have to keep driving back and forth from Seven and Dimitri's".

"That's true," Cairo agreed, "this will be the last trip for the both of us".

Fionn walked into the kitchen and joined Cairo where he was leaning against the counter. The two men observed the empty living room for a moment before Fionn spoke.

"I know this is going to sound really sentimental, but I'm going to miss living with you".

Cairo turned his head to look at Fionn and he smiled, "really? I'm going to miss living with you too, Fionn. You were my first friend that I made when I first moved here. I'm glad you caught me staring at you when we were both in the common room. You've helped me in many different ways, and you still continue to do so, and I'm really grateful for you".

Fionn scoffed and brought up a hand to wipe at his eyes, "you're not going to make me cry, mate. Knock it off".

Cairo laughed in amusement, "sorry... It's true though".

"I know, and I'm happy I was able to get to know you. Befriending you was one of the smartest decisions I've ever made. Living under the same roof as you has been quite the journey. We've almost burned down the place twice and flooded it once. Taking care of you after you've drunk too much at the bar will always be a highlight of mine".

"Oh, please, don't remind me," Cairo grimaced, "I really can't hold my alcohol, Fionn".

"I know, you're such a lightweight, it's really sad".

Cairo nudged Fionn with his elbow and laughed once more, "excuse me". Cairo shook his head, "I think I change my mind about missing you".

Fionn rolled his eyes in faux annoyance, "oh, please. I don't know why we're acting like we're never going to see each other again. We're still going to be close. You're still my best friend regardless of if we live underneath the same roof or not. I know you have Dimitri now, but don't forget that you can talk to me about things, okay?"

Nodding his head in understanding, Cairo replied, "I won't forget, and the same goes for you".

"Okay, now let's move on from the sappy shit," Fionn clapped his hands together. "Let's go".

Cairo and Fionn took the time to do one last sweep around the apartment to make sure they weren't leaving anything behind. They took their last few boxes to their cars before dropping off the key to their landlord. They gave one another a brief hug like they always did and Fionn got into his car and made his way to Seven's apartment. Cairo drove himself to Dimitri's house, and once he arrived, he texted Dimitri to let the older man know he was there.

"Hi, Cairo," Dimitri greeted once he had opened the front door.

The first thing Cairo did when he saw Dimitri was hug him. He pressed his face into the man's chest and sighed, "hi, Dimitri".

"What's wrong?"

"I've got bad news, Mabel got adopted today while I was out on my break. I'm never going to see her again".

Cairo knew Dimitri wasn't going to be upset about the news like Cairo was, but he figured Dimitri would show him some sympathy. Instead all Dimitri did was hum and remove himself from Cairo's arms. Cairo frowned and looked at Dimitri who had now stepped to the side and motioned for Cairo to enter the home.

"I think you should come in".

"Okay..." Cairo stepped into the house and when Dimitri closed the front door, Cairo stared at him expectantly. "Now what?"

Dimitri looked to the living room and then back at Cairo. He refused to say anything, but he did smile in amusement when Cairo seemed to catch on to what Dimitri wanted him to do next. Dimitri followed behind Cairo as the two entered the living room and it only took Cairo a handful of seconds to notice the orange tabby cat nestled in her bed that was resting in a cat hammock.

"Why is Mabel in your house?" Cairo asked in surprise as he walked over to her and quickly began to dish out pats. He looked at Dimitri with wide eyes, "did you adopt her?"

"I did," Dimitri said with a smile.

"Why?"

"Well I remembered what you told me the first time I visited you at the pet store. You said you didn't think Mabel would get adopted and you wished you were able to, but your apartment didn't allow pets. I don't mind having a cat in the house, so I just figured, why not? You know?"

"Dimitri, that's so sweet of you," Cairo stated, "thank you". Mabel nudged her head against Cairo's hand when he stopped petting her. He picked back up again and listened to her purrs of contentment. "Did you have to adopt her while I was on break? I was literally so upset when I got back and she was gone".

"I thought it'd make for a better surprise?" Dimitri answered sheepishly. "Sorry for making you upset".

"It's okay," Cairo reassured, "I'm not mad, how can I be? Mabel looks really happy to be here, especially in this hammock".

"I was afraid she wasn't going to use it at first, she didn't seem to like it when I set it up. Once I put her bed on it, she warmed up to it. I figure that'll be her favorite spot in the house".

"I think so too," Cairo agreed, he looked at Dimitri and realized he had yet to give the man a kiss since seeing him. Cairo puckered his lips and Dimitri smiled in amusement because this had become their thing. "Kiss, please".

Dimitri gave Cairo a kiss and patted his back, "are you hungry? I ate lunch before you arrived, I have extra left if you want it"

"No, I'm okay. I'm still full from my lunch break. Should we start bringing the last of my stuff inside?"

"Yeah, the sooner we start, the sooner we finish. We could order in for dinner when we're done, yeah?"

"Sounds good to me".

Cairo and Dimitri left Mabel to gaze out of the window while they went out to Cairo's car to start bringing in the last of the moving boxes.

"How was work today?" Cairo asked as he carried a box alongside Dimitri.

"It was okay," Dimitri answered, "we, um... We found the man who went missing. Do you remember that we kind of talked about him when we went on our run at the park?"

Cairo nodded and smiled, "I remember, is he alright?"

Dimitri sighed heavily, "he was found dead. We think his murder is linked to the others. At this point, my captain is classifying the murderer as a serial killer. They've murdered three people in three separate occasions and they've waited a month between each one. They're murdering the same demographic as well. Black males within the age range of twenty to twenty-five. I honestly don't know what's going on. I've been on the force for a couple of years now, and I've never dealt with a serial killer before".

"That's really scary," Cairo said, "especially the demographic part... That's... I fit into that demographic".

Dimitri set down the box in his hands. "I know, and I understand why you think it's scary. You don't have anything to worry about though, Cairo. You're safe with me".

Cairo nodded, "I know, it's unfortunate for the men who don't have a police officer for a boyfriend". Cairo gasped in realization and covered his hand with his mouth.

Dimitri eyed him curiously, "what is it?"

"You know what?" Cairo began, "we never actually had a conversation about if we're dating or not".

Laughter bubbled out of Dimitri's chest, "well I hope we are. We're living underneath the same roof now. Do you want to talk about what we are to each other?"

"We're dating," Cairo stated, "so we're boyfriends. I've just made it official".

"I'm glad," Dimitri smiled, "let's get the last two boxes in the house".

Cairo followed Dimitri out of the house and the two made quick work of bringing in the last two boxes. As Cairo was going back to his car to close the back door and lock his car, Dimitri trailed behind him.

"I have something for you".

"You do?" Cairo turned around once the car had been locked, "what is it?"

Dimitri placed his hand into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a very small, shallow box. It was so small that it fit in the palm of his hand. He passed it off to Cairo and watched as the younger man lifted the top off.

"I get a key?" Cairo asked as he looked down at the house key that Dimitri had just given him.

"You've moved in, haven't you? Of course, you get a key. I had it made the day after our dinner date".

"Thank you," Cairo hugged Dimitri before moving to stand beside him. He leaned against the older man and looked at Dimitri's house. "What should we do now that I've finished getting all of my stuff inside?"

"We could christen the house," Dimitri joked. He was too busy chuckling to himself to notice the way Cairo had reacted.

Cairo thought about it for a few seconds before nodding his head and speaking, "okay".

"I'm joking," Dimitri clarified.

"Okay, I'm not".

Dimitri looked at Cairo, "are you fucking with me right now?"

Cairo shook his head, "well not at the moment, but I'm hoping that I will be in the next few minutes..."

Raising his eyebrow in surprise at Cairo's response, Dimitri narrowed his eyes, "what's happening right now?"

"What's happening is..." Cairo began, turning his body so he was facing Dimitri. He lifted his arms and placed them on Dimitri's shoulders. His hands gently played with the older man's hair as he continued to speak, "I'm saying that I want to have sex with you, please".

"Are you sure? It'll be your first time and I don't want you to think you have to just because I made a fleeting joke about christening the house. I wasn't being se-" "Dimitri, relax, calm down," Cairo interrupted, "I'm sure about it. I trust you and I'm ready. Do you want to have sex?"

"Well I won't pass on having sex," Dimitri answered, "especially with you".

Dimitri's answer made Cairo laugh, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the man's lips. "Okay, let's go inside then".

Before Cairo could begin to walk to the front door, Dimitri picked him up. Cairo instinctively wrapped his legs around Dimitri's waist so he wouldn't pull the older man down to the ground. Cairo didn't protest to Dimitri picking him up and carrying him inside the house, it turned him on more than anything else.

"Mabel isn't going to come into the room, is she?" Dimitri asked after the front door was closed and locked. Dimitri was making his way up the stairs and Cairo laughed at his question.

"I don't think so," he answered, "but we should close the door just in case".

Dimitri carried Cairo to, what was now, their room, and Cairo used his hand to close the door. Dimitri approached the bed and laid Cairo down before settling beside him. Cairo turned his body onto his side and pressed his lips to Dimitri's so they could share a heated kiss. Cairo's left hand slipped beneath Dimitri's shirt so he could feel Dimitri's abs. The older man brought a hand up to cup the back of Cairo's neck, and he slowly moved his thumb back and forth because he knew how much it got Cairo going.

As they began to shed their clothes, Dimitri watched Cairo intently. He had thought about the things he would do with Cairo when they finally reached the point of having sex with one another. He'd played out different scenarios in his head while he touched himself to the thought of them. Dimitri wanted Cairo in the most intimate way possible, and he was finally going to get to have that. Dimitri was determined to do it right though, so he made sure to take the time and ask the question.

"Is there anything I should know about you? Likes, dislikes, stuff like that".

Cairo shed the rest of his clothes so he was standing naked. Dimitri's eyes wandered Cairo's body and he wasn't disappointed at all. This was the first time Dimitri had seen the entirety of Cairo's body. The younger man was stunning, and Dimitri wanted to make sure that he knew it.

Cairo bit his lip and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he answered Dimitri's question, "I like to please".

Dimitri wondered how Cairo could say such a thing and act like it wasn't a big deal. Hearing Cairo's words made Dimitri want to get his hands on Cairo ten times more. The older man crowded into Cairo's space and licked his lips, "you're going to be good for me?"

Cairo peered up at Dimitri and nodded his head before replying with a breathy, "yeah".

After hearing Cairo's answer, Dimitri tilted his head towards the bed. "Get back on the bed then, lay down on your back".

Cairo did as he was told and Dimitri grabbed a bottle of lube and a condom from the drawer of his nightstand. He placed the condom on the surface of the nightstand and kept the lube in his hand. Dimitri had envisioned having Cairo on his back, and it was finally happening. His fantasies were coming to life and it took everything in him not to rush into things.

Cairo gazed up at Dimitri from where he was laying on his back, his body sprawled out on the mattress. He wondered what Dimitri was thinking as he stared at him from the foot of the bed. He watched as the older man climbed onto the bed and positioned himself so that he was kneeling between his spread legs. Cairo's hard cock twitched with interest from where it was resting on his lower stomach as he continued to watch as Dimitri brought his hand down to stroke his own erection.

Dimitri touched himself for only a few seconds before he moved to nestle himself between Cairo's thighs. As he brought a hand down to touch Cairo's cock, he noticed the faint scars Cairo had mentioned days ago. He didn't look at them for long because he didn't want Cairo to become insecure of them. Dimitri's hand moved along Cairo's shaft and he watched as the younger man's thighs twitched. Cairo moaned softly at Dimitri's touch and he wet his lips with his tongue as the other man's hand moved from his shaft to his balls. Cairo's body tensed up for just a second when Dimitri's fingers moved to behind his balls to touch at the most intimate of places.

"Have you touched yourself here before?" Dimitri asked, his voice low.

Cairo swallowed before nodding his head a little, "yes".

"With how many fingers?"

"Three".

"Can you show me now?"

Cairo nodded his head once more and whimpered quietly when Dimitri suddenly gave a teasing tug to his cock.

"I like it when you use your words," Dimitri stated with a small smile from where he was still between Cairo's legs. "Can you answer me with words? Is that alright?"

Cairo felt a bit spacey and it was something he couldn't recall ever feeling before. He took a second to breathe deep and ground himself because Cairo really, really liked the current dynamic that had developed between himself and Dimitri.

"Yeah, it's alright".

With a smile still upon his face, Dimitri pressed a soft kiss to Cairo's inner thigh. "Good, now can you show me?"

Cairo furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before quickly remembering that Dimitri wanted to watch him as he fingered himself. The thought caused Cairo to moan softly before shifting his hips. The next thing he did was open his mouth to answer Dimitri since he now knew the older man really liked it.

"Yes".

Dimitri passed off the bottle of lube to Cairo and he sat back to watch him begin to work himself open. Dimitri had thought about what it would be like to watch Cairo touch himself, and he figured it would be so much better to watch it happen in person than to just try and visualize it. The older man decided he had been right as he watched Cairo meticulously work three fingers into himself.

"If I keep going..." Cairo trailed off, his breathing hitching in the best way possible as his fingers stretched him open. "I'm going to come".

"Do you want to come from your fingers?"

Cairo quickly shook his head and lifted it up from the mattress so he could look at Dimitri. "No, I want to come with you in me".

Dimitri smirked, "yeah? Are you ready then?"

After receiving a nod from Cairo, Dimitri moved and grabbed the condom from the nightstand. As he did so, he asked, "how do you want it? Tell me".

It was quiet as Cairo thought to himself. Dimitri smiled softly and waited for him to make up his mind. "I want to ride you... Is that okay?"

"More than".

Once Dimitri and Cairo were settled in a comfortable position, they went slow for Cairo's sake. Dimitri didn't seem to mind, and it was something Cairo was grateful for. The younger man made it known when he was finally fully seated on Dimitri's cock.

"Thank you for going slow," he whispered as he began to carefully lift his hips up only to slide them back down.

Dimitri grunted at the feeling and urged himself not to thrust up. "Of course".

"You feel really good".

Dimitri wanted to press a kiss to Cairo's lips, but he settled for rubbing his thighs instead. "So do you".

It took Cairo a moment to figure out a rhythm that worked for him, but once he did, Dimitri matched it. Cairo leaned forward and pressed his lips to Dimitri's as he ground his hips down. He moaned softly when Dimitri licked into his mouth and for the next handful of minutes, all that could be heard was both men's heavy breathing and noises of pleasure as their bodies moved with each other.

"Dimitri," Cairo giggled as he suddenly stopped moving, he took a second to catch his breath. "My legs are really tired".

Dimitri smiled in amusement and easily rolled them over so he was now the one on top and Cairo was beneath him. "Better?" He asked.

Cairo looked up at him and nodded his head, "yes, thank you".

Dimitri picked up where they left off and Cairo wrapped his legs around Dimitri's waist so he could keep the older man close. Having Dimitri in such close proximity and in such an intimate way caused Cairo to become overwhelmed with emotion. Cairo didn't think he would ever have someone like Dimitri in his life, and to have made it this far with him made Cairo happy. He had been so scared to lose Dimitri, and he still was. He was terrified of losing the older man because he didn't remember ever being this happy before. It amazed him how Dimitri made him feel, and he was having a hard time not crying over it.

Cairo sniffled and turned his head to the side as he felt the sudden tears leave his eyes. He hoped Dimitri wouldn't notice, but Cairo knew that he had when he felt Dimitri's body tense up and stop moving.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Cairo whispered, "keep going, please. I'm really close".

Dimitri wasn't sure if he should listen to Cairo or not, but he ultimately did. He continued to thrust into the younger man as he moved a hand to his erection. Dimitri stroked Cairo's shaft in time with his thrusts and reveled in the way Cairo reacted. The younger man's legs tensed up and his nails dug into Dimitri's back. His breathing hitched once again before he moaned weakly.

"I'm going to come," Cairo whined, his eyes briefly rolled up before they closed completely. "Can I?"

Dimitri grunted out a curse word because honestly, what the fuck? He'd never had anyone ask him if they could come, but now that Cairo had, Dimitri realized that he really liked it.

"Yeah, yes, yes," Dimitri muttered as he drove his hips forward, "come now".

"I'm..." Cairo trailed off and Dimitri figured he was going to voice that he was coming, but it wasn't like Dimitri couldn't tell on his own. With the way he clenched around Dimitri and his entire body tensed due to pleasure as he shot up his stomach, it was very easy for the older man to notice. Dimitri let go seconds after Cairo and gave a few more thrusts as he came hard into the condom. His hips moved weakly before halting all together. Dimitri made the conscious decision to drop his body beside Cairo's and not to actually lay his entire body weight on top of him.

Dimitri took the time to catch his breath while Cairo did the same. The older man stared up at the ceiling and once he felt like he could breathe easier, he removed the condom and tied it before tossing it in the trash. He stopped by the bathroom to grab a wet washcloth. As he was returning to the bed, he heard another sniffle and then a soft sob.

"Was I that bad?" Dimitri asked worriedly.

From where he was still laying on the bed, Cairo laughed through his tears. "No, you were great".

Dimitri waited until Cairo cleaned himself up a bit and he had Cairo in his arms to ask, "then why are you crying?"

"I'm just overwhelmed," Cairo confessed as he pressed his ear to Dimitri's chest.

"Why?"

Dimitri was prepared for Cairo's response to be something along the lines of him not anticipating his first time to go the way it had, or for him to say that his body felt sore. What the older man received instead was something he wasn't expecting at all.

"It's because I really love you, Dimitri".

Cairo could hear Dimitri's heartbeat pick up from where he still had his ear pressed to the older man's chest. He wondered if he had just made a mistake by confessing his feelings, if he had messed up. He mentally cursed himself for taking the leap and expressing himself because he wasn't ready to let this go. Cairo told Dimitri that he wasn't going to leave unless Dimitri wanted him to, and he was beginning to regret it. If Dimitri told him he wanted him to go, Cairo wasn't sure how he was going to handle it because he just wasn't ready to leave.

"I love you too," and Dimitri did. He really, really did. He had known for a while now that Cairo was it for him, and he came to the conclusion that he loved him the night he and Cairo returned to his home after the movie night at Seven's. The words had been sitting in the pit of his stomach for weeks, but he was too anxious to let them out because he didn't want to scare Cairo away. He needed Cairo to tell him that he loved him first before he could do the same.

"You do?" Cairo asked, he lifted his head from Dimitri's chest so that he could look at him.

"I do, you're it for me. You embody everything that I want in a person, Cairo. I mean it when I say I love you".

"Oh, God," Cairo murmured, "I'm going to start crying again".

Dimitri laughed at Cairo's words and nodded his head, "it's okay if you do".

Cairo huffed out a laugh of his own before calming down, he placed a soft kiss to Dimitri's lips, "you're everything I want in a person too".

"I'm glad," Dimitri replied, he rubbed a hand against Cairo's thigh, "do you want to shower?"

"Yes, please".

The atmosphere in the shower was soothing. Dimitri and Cairo took the time to wash one another's bodies, and as they let the water rinse away the soapsuds, the two shared another kiss. Dimitri turned his back to Cairo and the younger man took the opportunity to wrap his arms around him. He pressed a kiss to Dimitri's shoulder before closing his eyes and resting his forehead against the older man's back. Cairo held him close and just breathed. The younger man had never been very religious throughout his life, but in that moment, he took the time to thank God for Dimitri.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

It didn't take long for Cairo and Dimitri to fall into the swing of things. The transition from living alone to living with another person went smoothly for Dimitri. After the second week, the two had a routine down pat. On the days Dimitri worked night shifts, he and Cairo would eat dinner together before Dimitri left for work. When the man got off at six in the morning, he would join Cairo in bed and sleep. Cairo would get up an hour later and make himself breakfast, and he would always make some for Dimitri too so he would have food to wake up to. On the days Dimitri didn't work a night shift, they'd wake up roughly around the same time and make breakfast together.

Cairo didn't know why he was so nervous to move in with Dimitri. Looking back on how concerned he had been made him laugh in amusement. Living with Dimitri was wonderful. The two watched TV shows and movies together on the living room couch while Mabel napped in her window hammock. They cuddled close at night and Dimitri always let Cairo nestle his body into his own because Cairo always tended to be cold. They went grocery shopping together, and it was amusing to see all of the healthy foods Dimitri picked out and the one or two sugary snacks Cairo managed to sneak in.

They had sex often too, which surprised Cairo because before moving in with Dimitri, Cairo had never been much of a sexual person. However, after the first time he and Dimitri had sex, the dam just seemed to break. They did it any and everywhere they could, and Cairo and Dimitri both loved it. Cairo was sure Mabel wasn't very fond of the two stripping down and going at it when she was around because she'd always be shooed away to another room. Dimitri couldn't have sex with Mabel watching, and quite honestly, neither could Cairo.

"I think I understand now why Fionn and Seven have sex so much," Cairo murmured absentmindedly as he concentrated on the feeling of Dimitri thrusting into him. It was seven in the morning and neither man had anywhere to be. Dimitri had a night shift and Cairo wasn't working today. They'd only had morning sex once, and that was something they felt like changing. Cairo and Dimitri were both resting on their sides and they were spooning. Both of their heads were resting on pillows and it was an all around comfortable atmosphere. "Sex feels great".

Dimitri chuckled softly at Cairo's words and with the arm that was wrapped around Cairo's waist, he gave him a gentle squeeze. "I swear you're the only one who has ever made me laugh during sex".

Cairo hummed softly and closed his eyes, he placed a hand over Dimitri's forearm and responded with, "I'm glad". He tilted his head when he felt Dimitri's lips against his neck. "I was thinking..." Cairo began, trying his best to keep his voice even. "Maybe we could try restraining some time? Like you holding me down or something?"

The idea of holding Cairo down caused Dimitri to involuntarily thrust his hips harder, which caused him to go deeper. Cairo's mouth dropped open and he gasped at the feeling of Dimitri hitting his prostate. "Do that again, please," he begged before tacking on a giggle, "I'm guessing you like the idea then?"

Dimitri rolled his eyes in amusement at Cairo's teasing and he moved his hips again like Cairo had asked him to. He moved his hand to pinch at one of Cairo's nipples in retaliation and he smirked to himself when Cairo groaned. "I do," Dimitri confirmed, he moved his head so his mouth was close to the younger man's ear. "I want you to touch yourself".

Cairo didn't hesitate to listen as he moved his hand to his erection. As he began to stroke himself, his breathing picked up and he knew it wouldn't be long before he reached his climax. He partially hid his face against his pillow and he bit his lip at the pleasure he was feeling. Dimitri could feel Cairo beginning to clench around him, and he figured he'd only have to give a few more thrusts in order to push Cairo over the edge. He wanted to make them count, so he made sure to make them long and deep. 

"I'm going to come," Cairo announced, his voice strained.

Dimitri quirked an eyebrow and hummed softly, he licked the lobe of Cairo's ear before gently biting down. "Are you? I don't remember you asking me if you could".

Dimitri was getting back at Cairo for teasing him, and Cairo knew it because he let out a breathy laugh that dissolved into a throaty groan. "Dimitri, can I come, please?"

The older man gave a laugh of his own before answering with a simple, "yeah, go ahead".

"Thank you," Cairo replied, his voice coming out as a mewl more than anything else. He moved his head to fully press his face into the pillow. He bit down onto the pillow case and fell over the edge. His orgasm felt like it lasted a lifetime, and as he was riding the waves of pleasure, he could both hear and feel Dimitri coming too.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri asked quietly once they both had come down from their highs. He rubbed a hand against Cairo's stomach as he waited for an answer. Cairo nodded and moved his head so he could breathe in air. Once his breathing had slowed down, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Yeah, are you?"

"I'm great," Dimitri answered, "shower then breakfast?"

Cairo nodded for a second time, "sounds good to me".

They got up from the bed and Dimitri stripped the sheet they were just laying on from the mattress. He placed it by the hamper to remind himself to wash it while Cairo walked into the bathroom.

"What're you doing today?" Cairo asked once he and Dimitri were both in the shower.

"Well I was wanting to go and buy more bed sheets," Dimitri began, he looked at Cairo and smiled in amusement. "I don't have many, and I feel like we're going to have to change them every other day with how much sex we're having".

Cairo blushed and concentrated on standing beneath the stream of water coming from the shower head. He didn't say anything, but he did stick his tongue out at Dimitri instead.

"You know," Dimitri smirked, "if someone had told me you were into kinky stuff when I first met you, I wouldn't have believed them".

"Shut up," Cairo gasped at his words, and lightly punched Dimitri in the shoulder. "Oh my God".

With a chuckle, Dimitri pulled Cairo closer to him, "I'm only teasing". He rubbed Cairo's back and added, "I like it, by the way".

"I know," Cairo used his pointer finger to trace along Dimitri's bicep, "I'm saying that to both of your statements, by the way". Cairo smiled a little as he watched Dimitri roll his eyes due to Cairo repeating his words. "I'm glad you like it though, I didn't mean to ask you if I could come the first time we had sex... It just sort of slipped out... You didn't mention it after, so I just kept doing it every time we had sex again".

"I was waiting for you to bring it up yourself, I figured you were a bit embarrassed".

"I was," Cairo admitted, "that's why I didn't mention it either".

"Can I ask you something?" Dimitri questioned.

"What about?"

"The sex".

Nodding his head, Cairo watched his finger move along Dimitri's skin, "go ahead".

"Why do you like being told what to do?"

It was a question Dimitri had been meaning to ask ever since the first time he and Cairo had sex. Cairo said he liked to please, and Dimitri had taken it in stride because he wasn't going to make Cairo feel embarrassed about the things he liked. The older man was curious though, and he did have his theories as to why Cairo liked to be dominated in bed, but he wanted to hear Cairo explain it himself.

"I think it comes from my past..." Cairo murmured, "and my fear of messing up. It's like I don't have to think so much when you're telling me what to do, and I only like it when you tell me what to do, and only during sex".

Dimitri was glad Cairo had taken the time to clarify when he liked being told what to do. Dimitri had never tried to tell Cairo what to do outside of when the two were having sex. He wasn't comfortable forcing things onto the younger man in their every day life, but he could do it for a bit while they were having sex. It wasn't really like Dimitri was forcing Cairo to do anything anyway. Dimitri wasn't forcing him because Cairo wanted to do the things Dimitri would tell him to do anyway.

"Is that weird?"

Dimitri shook his head at Cairo's question, "not at all".

From where he was standing, Dimitri could tell Cairo was feeling a bit anxious. He could see it in the way the younger man wasn't looking at him, and in the way his finger continued to trace the same pattern over and over again against his bicep.

"Kiss, please," he requested.

Cairo looked at him and his face immediately scrunched up in amusement, "that's my line".

"I know, is it alright if I borrow it just this once?"

"You can borrow it whenever you want," Cairo replied, he moved his hands to cup Dimitri's face before pressing his lips to Dimitri's. The two shared a kiss and it calmed Cairo's nerves. He trusted Dimitri, and if Dimitri didn't think his enjoyment of being dominated was weird, then Cairo shouldn't either.

After the two stepped out of the shower, they got dressed and finished getting ready for the day. They made breakfast together while Mabel ate her food and once they finished eating, and it had just hit noon, Dimitri and Cairo left the house for the day. Dimitri drove while Cairo sat in the passenger seat and looked out of the window.

"Is there anywhere else you want to go while we're out?" Dimitri asked.

Cairo turned his head to look at him, "lunch maybe? We could eat outside and enjoy the weather while we still can. It'll be getting cold soon".

"Lunch sounds nice," Dimitri agreed, "what type of food are you thinking?"

"Mediterranean, do you know the one restaurant in Conway? It's by the pet store, kind of. Fionn told me they have really good gyros".

Dimitri nodded, "I know the one. We'll go there after we leave the store".

Once at the department store, Cairo grabbed a shopping cart and pushed it in front of him as he walked alongside Dimitri. They walked to the linen section and found what they had come for rather quickly.

"I like the dark blue ones," Cairo stated as they both looked over their options, "but it's going on your bed, so you get to decide".

"Our bed," Dimitri corrected, "in our house".

"Legally it's yours," Cairo pointed out.

"Yeah, okay, legally, but you know I'm not talking about legally right now".

Cairo smiled and watched as Dimitri picked up the dark blue bed sheets and placed them in the cart. He picked up a grey set and placed it in the cart as well.

"One more, which one?"

Cairo immediately pointed to a burgundy set, and Dimitri promptly placed it in the cart too. Since they had no where to be, Dimitri and Cairo walked around the department store to see if anything would catch their eye.

"They have Halloween stuff out already," Cairo noted as he eyed the fake jack-o-lanterns sitting on a display shelf. "Can you believe it?"

"It's like they bring it out earlier and earlier each year".

Cairo nodded his head in agreement and looked to Dimitri, "you know, Halloween used to be my favorite holiday".

"Really?" Dimitri asked, he liked Halloween as a child, but he wouldn't categorize it as being his favorite holiday. "How come?" 

"I could put on a mask and be whoever I wanted," Cairo explained, "and no one would treat me like shit because they didn't know it was me. What was your favorite holiday?"

"Christmas... It still is my favorite..." Dimitri murmured, he frowned and shook his head. "How can you say that and just act like it's not a big deal?"

Cairo shrugged his shoulders, "it's happened and I'm in a better place now, so I just figured I could talk about it, you know?"

Dimitri nodded his head this time, "no, yeah... You're right. It's just hard to hear about your struggles, it makes me sad. I'm glad you're in a better place though, I just wish you never had to deal with being bullied".

Cairo smiled and pecked Dimitri's cheek, "thank you for caring".

"I always will," Dimitri replied, "remember that".

"I will," Cairo stated, "is Christmas your favorite holiday because you get to see your family?"

"Yeah," Dimitri answered, "I can't wait for this Christmas".

"Why?"

"It'll be the first Christmas with you there," Dimitri smiled, "you can join in on the family traditions".

As Cairo began to lead them to the checkout stations, he asked, "which are?"

"We watch Christmas movies and have a gingerbread house making contest". With a sheepish smile, the older man added on to his sentence, "I know it sounds childish, but it's been something we've done since my brothers and I were young. We've never been able to let it go, so we keep it going".

"I think it sounds cute," Cairo reassured, "not childish at all. Who usually wins?"

Dimitri rolled his eyes and grumbled out his answer, "my mom".

"Well you don't sound too happy about that," Cairo laughed and began to scan the bed sheets since they had arrived at the self-checkout stations.

"She's so good," Dimitri explained, "she's really into crafts, right now she's gotten into knitting. I don't know how she does it, but every single Christmas her gingerbread house comes out looking like the ones you see in magazines. She always gets a kick out of looking at my house along with my brothers' and our dad's. Ours are so messy compared to hers".

Cairo smiled, "that's so adorable, Dimitri. Do you do anything else?"

"We take food to the local food bank, we know it gets busy around Christmas time, so we donate as much as we can to help".

Cairo looked at Dimitri, "that's so nice of you all. I bet the people at the food bank really appreciate it".

Dimitri grinned and watched Cairo pull out his wallet. Before the older man could grab his own wallet, Cairo quickly swiped his credit card and said a quiet, "oops".

"I'm paying for lunch," Dimitri stated, "I thought I should just establish that now".

"Okay," Cairo laughed and bagged the bed sheets before walking the cart back to where he had gotten it from. He intertwined his fingers with Dimitri's and they held hands as they walked back to the car. Dimitri drove to the Mediterranean restaurant and like Cairo had wanted, they sat at a table outside. They'd enjoyed a light lunch and Dimitri did indeed pay the bill while Cairo sat back and watched.

When they got back home, they watched TV in bed with Mabel at their feet. Dimitri went to sleep shortly after since he had to work a night shift. His shift began at ten at night and ended at six in the morning, so it was important that he slept. Cairo watched him sleep and briefly wondered if that was weird to do or not. He stayed awake with Mabel and when it was getting closer to nine, he got up and went to the kitchen to start making something for dinner. This was a part of their routine, and Cairo enjoyed it.

He would make dinner alone on the days Dimitri worked a night shift because while he cooked, Dimitri would still be sleeping. By the time he finished making dinner, Dimitri would be awake and beginning to get ready to leave for work. Dimitri would always leave enough time for him to sit down and eat with Cairo because he'd feel bad if he didn't. Cairo would cook dinner for him, so the least Dimitri could do is eat it with him.

"I'll see you in the morning, I love you," Cairo smiled at Dimitri from where he was sitting on the couch.

Dimitri walked over to him and leaned down so he could press a kiss to the younger man's forehead, "see you in the morning, I love you more".

Continuing to smile, Cairo replied without missing a beat, "I love you most".

Dimitri didn't hesitate to say, "not possible".

Cairo rolled his eyes in amusement and watched Dimitri leave. When Cairo was alone, he yawned and looked to Mabel who was in her hammock. "Let's head to bed, Mabel".

Mabel let Cairo pick her up and carry her upstairs. She found a comfortable space on the bed and Cairo changed into pajamas before joining her. Cairo went to sleep easily and quickly, and he was looking forward to waking up to Dimitri laying beside him. It was one of the things he enjoyed the most. Once his night shift was over, Dimitri always managed to sneak back into the house without waking Cairo up. The younger man always woke up to Dimitri's body beside his, and it had always been that way since he'd moved in.

The next morning would be different, and Cairo would realize it immediately. When he woke up at seven, he reached a hand out to feel for Dimitri's body. When his hand touched cold sheets instead of warm skin, he lifted his head from his pillow and stared at the empty space beside him. He was confused more than anything else as he picked up his phone from the nightstand. He wanted to see if Dimitri had tried to text or call him last night while he was sleeping. When his phone came up empty of any missed calls or text messages, Cairo sat up.

Cairo noticed Mabel was gone from the bed too, so he thought maybe Dimitri had come home this morning and she was with him. Cairo wasn't sure why Dimitri wouldn't come to bed when he got home, but he figured he'd just ask him when he saw him. He walked downstairs and found Mabel in her hammock. Besides her, the living room was empty and when Cairo walked into the kitchen, he found that it was empty too. Cairo walked to the front door and as he opened it, he saw only his car in the driveway.

Cairo could feel his stomach getting upset with nerves as he began to wonder where Dimitri was and why he wasn't home. His fingers were trembling because he felt anxious, and he mentally told himself to breathe because he didn't want to get worked up. Cairo figured he should call Dimitri before beginning to worry, and as he went to do so, his phone began to vibrate with an incoming call. Cairo stared at the screen for a few seconds before accepting the call and bringing the phone up to his ear.

Swallowing thickly, Cairo spoke, "Seven?"

"Something happened to Dimitri, he's in the hospital," Seven explained, getting straight to the point. "I'm coming to pick you up, don't turn on the TV and watch the news. It'll only freak you out".

"I'm already freaked out," Cairo sniffled as he felt tears begin to well up in his eyes. "Is he okay? What happened?"

"I don't know, the hospital wouldn't tell me anything over the phone".

Cairo wiped at his eyes and quickly returned upstairs. "How far away are you?" He asked as he began to find some clothes to wear. He was struggling to figure out if he needed to bring anything else other than himself, but he figured if he absolutely needed something then he would just have to come back for it later on. Dimitri was the most important thing at the moment.

"Not far, fifteen minutes".

"Okay, I'll be outside when you get here. I promise".

After hanging up the phone, Cairo struggled to not cry. He didn't have time to cry, Seven would be here in the next fifteen minutes and he had to be ready when he arrived. Cairo freshened up and changed out of his pajamas and into clothes as quickly as he could. Once he was dressed, he ran downstairs and to the front door.

Before he was out of the house, he called to Mabel, "I'll be back!"


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

"If you're not family, then I can't let you through. Visitors are allowed in an hour," the hospital receptionist explained from where she sat behind her desk.

She looked at Seven, Fionn, and Cairo through her glasses. She could tell that they were distressed and of course she wanted to let them through, but the problem was that she couldn't. She was sorry that one of their loved ones had been admitted, but she simply wasn't going to lose her job over them.

"I can't wait an hour," Cairo whispered from where he stood beside Fionn.

"You'll have to," the receptionist replied, "there's nothing else I can do for you".

"Can you at least tell us his status or something?" Fionn asked, his lips turned down in a frown. "Like is he okay or what?"

"Mr. Alexander is stable. He was moved from the ICU to a room about two hours ago. That's all I can tell you all. I'm sorry, now if you could please come back in an hour, I will be happy to let you through".

"Alright, thanks," Seven quickly replied, he placed a hand on Cairo and Fionn's shoulder and led them to the waiting area that wasn't too far from the reception desk. "I needed to leave before I did some shit that would get me kicked out by security," Seven muttered as he sat down in a chair.

Fionn sat beside him and took Seven's hand into his own. "She's just doing her job".

"I know," Seven nodded his head and used his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I'm reminding myself of that".

Cairo felt the same way Seven did. He kept mentally reminding himself that the receptionist was only doing her job. She wasn't purposefully keeping them from seeing Dimitri out of spite. She simply legally couldn't let them through and there was nothing she could do about it. Cairo wasn't sure how Seven and Fionn were sitting down because he was way too anxious to do the same. He paced back and forth in front of them and nervously began to wring his hands together.

Cairo's phone abruptly began to vibrate from where he had placed it in his pocket and he scrambled to grab it. He hoped it was Dimitri who was calling, but he sighed loudly when it was Olivia instead. He had forgotten all about having to work today. The drive to the hospital had consisted of him crying due to anxiousness and the last thing on his mind had been to call into work to let them know he wasn't coming.

"You're late, Cairo," Olivia stated as soon as Cairo had answered the phone, "like super fucking late".

"I know," Cairo murmured as he continued to pace back and forth. "I can't make it in today, I'm sorry".

"You couldn't have called me sooner? I'm already like two hours into the shift. No one else comes in until noon. I have to pick up slack because you're not here and ho-" "My fucking boyfriend is in the hospital, Olivia," Cairo angrily interrupted. He was pissed off having to listen to her complain about having to do more work. "I don't give a shit about what the fuck you have to do".

Cairo hung up the phone and glared off into space for a short few seconds. Seven and Fionn stared at Cairo in surprise from where they were sitting.

Seven leaned over and whispered in Fionn's ear, "that's the angriest I've ever seen him".

Fionn chuckled and patted Seven's knee, "me too".

They watched on as Cairo dropped his head into his hands. "Oh God," Cairo murmured, "what I said was so mean. She didn't know about Dimitri, I shouldn't have yelled at her like that". He looked to Seven and Fionn, "should I call her back and apologize?"

"I think it can wait, mate," Fionn answered honestly, "you've got more important things to worry about".

"You're right," Cairo agreed with a nod of his head, he looked to the hallway that was just behind the reception desk. Dimitri was literally so close, but Cairo couldn't get to him like he desperately wanted to. "Has this... Um... Has Dimitri been in the hospital before, Seven?"

Seven looked at Cairo and nodded his head, "yes, but it was only for cuts and scrapes. He'd go in and come out within two or three hours. He's never... He's never been admitted before".

"How did you know something happened to him? Did he text or call you? I didn't get anything from him".

"Fionn turned on the news as I was getting ready for work and he was getting ready for school. It was background noise because we weren't really paying attention. I was getting ready to turn off the TV because we were getting ready to leave for the day," Seven explained. He shook his head, "that's when I saw it. Some news reporter was talking about an officer involved accident. I do this thing where I constantly watch out for officer involved accidents because I fucking worry so much about Dimitri literally all of the time. Every time there's an accident, I call him to see if he's alright. He's always answered and told me he's fine, and then he teases me about worrying so much. I called him today and he didn't answer... So I called the local hospitals to see if he'd been admitted..."

"Did the reporter say anything about what the accident was?" Cairo asked worriedly.

Seven shook his head for a second time, "no". He went on to say, "I can't believe he's been hurt. I didn't think it would actually ever happen. I was expecting him to answer his phone when I called, and to hear him laughing at me about being so worried".

"I get that you two are worried, and I am too," Fionn said, "but we have to remember that he's in a regular room. That's good, right? He was moved out of the ICU and into a room because his health status isn't critical. We just have to wait a bit more until we can see him and figure out what exactly happened. Cairo, sit down, mate. We've got forty-five more minutes, are you going to pace the whole time?"

Even though Cairo didn't want to, he listened to what Fionn said. He had Cairo's best interest in mind, and Fionn didn't think it was a good idea for Cairo to pace around for that long. Fionn patted Cairo's shoulder and offered him a reassuring smile.

"Dimitri's going to be alright," Fionn said, "I'm sure of it".

Cairo had to trust what Fionn told him even though he wasn't sure if it were true or not. It was better than thinking the worst, so as Cairo sat in the waiting area, he began to think about how Dimitri was fine. He was running off of false hope, and he was wishing it would end up being the right thing to do. The three men sat and watched the clock.

Cairo was reminded of being back in school when he was younger. He remembered sitting at his desk and watching as time would pass by as his teachers would lecture on and on. He hadn't been watching the clock because he was ready for the class period to end. It was because he needed to know how long he had before he had to endure being bullied again.

Cairo blinked and watched the second hand move and move until it finally passed the number twelve. It had officially been an hour and Cairo was done waiting. He walked to the reception desk with Fionn and Seven following right behind him.

"We would like to visit Dimitri Alexander, please," Cairo stated as he looked expectantly at the receptionist.

She gave him a kind smile, "he's in room three hundred and four. If he's sleeping, don't wake him".

"Okay, thank you," Cairo replied. He walked with Fionn and Seven down the hall, and when they arrived at room three hundred and four, they stood outside of the closed door. Cairo peered into the small window of the door and he could see Dimitri laying in the hospital bed. Cairo slowly and quietly pushed open the door because Dimitri was indeed asleep. Cairo, Fionn, and Seven all entered the room and they did their best to not make too much noise.

Cairo had been expecting the worst. He had been expecting broken bones and torn skin, and multiple machines keeping Dimitri alive. He'd been half right, Dimitri didn't have any broken bones, but he was connected to a few machines. There was a vital monitor and an oxygen machine, and Dimitri had an IV bag connected to him as well. Cairo eyed the oxygen mask that covered Dimitri's nose and mouth, and he worried about why he had been given one.

"Now we wait," Seven said, his voice quiet so he wouldn't wake the only sleeping person in the room. There were two chairs in the room and Seven grabbed one from the hall so there could be three. Seven and Fionn sat in the chairs that were beside one another in the corner of the room and Cairo moved the chair from the hallway to beside Dimitri's bed. He carefully reached out and picked up Dimitri's hand that didn't have the IV in it. Cairo laced his fingers through Dimitri's and he concentrated on the warmth of the older man's skin.

It wasn't long before Dimitri began to wake up, and even though Cairo wanted Dimitri to get his rest, he was secretly glad that he was beginning to wake up. Cairo watched Dimitri blink open his eyes and look around the room. When his eyes landed on Cairo, he smiled tiredly and gave the younger man's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Hi," Dimitri spoke, his voice was a bit muffled due to the oxygen mask, but Cairo could still understand him.

Cairo smiled weakly, "hi".

Dimitri turned his head to look at Seven and Fionn, "hi".

"Hi, Dimitri," Fionn greeted.

"Hi," Seven replied, he sat up and worriedly bit his lip. "Are you feeling alright? Are you in pain?"

"I feel fine," Dimitri answered. "I'm on pain medicine, the doctor gave me some earlier this morning. I can't remember the name of it".

"Oh, okay," Seven nodded his head a bit, "that's good".

It was quiet for a moment, and Cairo took the opportunity to ask what he had been wondering since Seven had called him that morning. "What happened?"

Dimitri thought for a moment as he tried to figure out how he wanted to deliver the news. He settled for simply saying, "I was shot at".

"Oh, fuck," Fionn swore, he hadn't been expecting Dimitri to say such a thing.

"What?" Cairo and Seven asked, they both looked terrified.

"Did you get hit?" Cairo questioned, and then he frowned because obviously Dimitri got hit if he was in the hospital. "I'm sorry, that was a stupid question".

"It's okay," Dimitri chuckled weakly, "technically I was hit, but the bullets didn't enter me".

"Bullets?"

"I was hit three times at close range," Dimitri explained, "I was wearing a bulletproof vest. It's required we wear them while on patrol. I thought I was going into a routine traffic stop, but when I stepped up to the car window, I was being shot at".

Dimitri took the time to think back to what happened and how everything played out. He had pulled over a car for speeding, and Dimitri didn't think the driver was going to pull over at first. When they had, Dimitri stepped out of his car and approached the driver side window. It happened very fast. Before Dimitri could ask the man behind the wheel to roll down his window, he pulled a gun from between the seat and the door. He pointed it at Dimitri and didn't hesitate to pull the trigger three times.

Dimitri had the air knocked out of him as he staggered back and toppled over onto his back. He'd been hit in the chest and stomach, and Dimitri immediately felt like he couldn't breathe. As he laid on the pavement, the car pulled off and Dimitri was left laying there at two in the morning. As he struggled to get air into his lungs, he radioed in that he was down and needed assistance immediately.

"Oh my God," Cairo whispered, he shook his head, "how injured did you get?"

Dimitri hummed and carefully patted his chest, "the doctor said I have a pulmonary contusion which is just fancy medical talk for a bruised lung, and I have a few fractured ribs as well".

"How bad did it hurt?" Fionn asked.

"It hurt terribly, my doctor said the bullets I took were probably the equivalent to three baseballs coming at me at ninety miles per hour, or something like that. I wasn't really paying attention, that's when the pain medicine started to kick in," Dimitri explained.

Cairo sat in his chair and drowned out the voices of Dimitri and Fionn. The two were speaking to each other, but Cairo was too busy thinking to concentrate on what they were saying. Cairo was having a hard time coming to terms with what had happened to Dimitri. He remembered Seven telling him about how people usually tend to leave Dimitri because they're too afraid of what'll happen if he got hurt. Cairo couldn't understand at the time why someone would leave, but now he truly understood. Cairo figured if he didn't love Dimitri so much, he might've bailed too. He was so stressed out and to think something like this could happen again terrified him. He loved Dimitri though, and unlike the others, he wasn't going to leave.

He was scared though, and as he sat there and thought about what had happened to Dimitri he realized just how close he came to losing him. If Dimitri hadn't been wearing his vest, then the outcome would've been so much worse. Dimitri would've been severely injured, or worse, he could've died. Thinking about Dimitri dying caused Cairo's chest to feel tight and his breathing to pick up. He wasn't ready to lose Dimitri like that, and he was never going to be. Dimitri was one of the best things to ever happen to him, and to think last night could've gone so much differently almost sent Cairo into a panic attack.

"I... I'll be back," Cairo said as he let go of Dimitri's hand and began to stand up.

Dimitri noticed the distress on his face and refused to let go of Cairo's fingers. "Where are you going?"

"I was going to go outside and get some fresh air. I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack".

Dimitri shook his head and motioned for Cairo to stay seated. "Why do you feel that way?"

"I could've lost you last night, Dimitri," Cairo whispered, he sniffled and blinked his eyes a few times so he could keep his tears from falling.

"Hey, hey," Dimitri cooed, his voice soft, "none of that. I'm fine, Cairo. Don't panic, alright? Come on, relax for me".

Cairo was sitting close enough to Dimitri that the older man was able to reach out his hand and place it on the back of Cairo's neck.

Cairo's body relaxed immediately and he sighed, "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to make this about me. You're the one who's sitting in a hospital bed right now".

"You have every right to be upset, Cairo," Dimitri said, "I don't blame you. I don't blame any of you". Dimitri looked to Fionn and Seven, "are you guys alright?"

Fionn chuckled in disbelief, "you're laying in a hospital bed after just being hit by three bullets and you're asking us if we're alright? I'll admit, Seven and I are shaken up, but we're fine". Fionn looked at Seven, "right, babe?"

Seven nodded his head, "I'm fine now. I was absolutely terrified when I found out you had been admitted into the hospital, but seeing you in front of me smiling has calmed my nerves". He took a deep breath and slowly let it out, "Dimitri, I thought... I was afraid to find out that you were dead".

Seven was having the same feelings as Cairo when it came to Dimitri. Seven had known Dimitri for twenty-six years. They grew up together and shared so many memories. They considered one another brothers, and for Dimitri to get hurt on the job really shook Seven to his core. Seven had always worried about Dimitri whenever he was on duty, and last night was proof that his worrying was completely justified. Dimitri's job was dangerous, and it could kill him at a moment's notice.

"I'm sorry I scared you guys so bad," Dimitri apologized.

Cairo shook his head, "it's not your fault". He looked at Dimitri and quietly asked, "were you scared?"

"At first, no. I was too pumped up on adrenaline to be scared, but once it had worn off, I was. My vest can only withstand but so much force. There was only a foot between me and the gun, and that's not enough distance away for my vest to stop a bullet. The thing that helped me was the gun being a small one, which meant the bullets were smaller too. I think if he'd had a bigger gun then I'm not sure my vest would've helped me out so much. I couldn't tell if I was bleeding or not, and I honestly couldn't really breathe either. I was afraid I was going to pass out, and I don't want to upset you guys any more than you already are, but at that moment I was scared I was going to die too".

"I'm so sorry that happened to you, Dimitri," Cairo said. "I can't imagine what all of that must've been like. We're all really glad you're not extremely hurt. The oxygen is to help your lungs, right?"

"Yeah, I could barely breathe when I got admitted. I was afraid they'd put me on a ventilator, but they gave me a mask instead. I think I might ask to switch to a nasal cannula. I feel like you guys can't hear me very well".

"We can hear you just fine, mate," Fionn reassured. "Don't worry".

Dimitri smiled and he looked to Cairo when the younger man spoke.

"Do you know how long you'll be here before you're able to come home?"

Cairo wanted Dimitri out of his hospital gown and back in his pajamas. He wanted Dimitri back in his comfortable bed instead of in the small twin sized hospital one. He wanted Dimitri breathing without the help of the oxygen mask. There were so many things that Cairo wanted, but the main thing was that he wanted Dimitri to be okay again.

"I can go home this time tomorrow morning. My doctor wants me to stay the night so they can monitor me some more. I know she was afraid that I might've had a collapsed lung, so I guess she's still looking out for that. I'm not entirely too sure".

"How long is it going to take for your ribs to heal?" Seven asked.

"Six weeks," Dimitri answered, "I can't do anything that could injure them further. I'm out of work for the next six weeks".

"You don't sound too happy about that," Fionn smiled. "I know if I was out of work for six weeks, I'd be the happiest bloke alive".

Dimitri chuckled and winced at the slight pain that sat in his chest, he shook his head. "I love my job. I knew what I was signing up for when I joined the police academy".

"I think you're one of the craziest people I know".

"Please, don't make me laugh," Dimitri begged as he smiled. "My ribs literally can't take it right now".

Fionn covered his mouth with his hand so he wouldn't start laughing. When he had calmed down, he spoke, "I won't, I'm sorry".

Cairo and Seven shook their heads at Fionn and Dimitri's exchange of words. It was quiet until Cairo's stomach grumbled due to hunger. He blushed and laughed lightly, "sorry".

"Have you not eaten?" Dimitri asked.

"I haven't," Cairo admitted, "Seven called me right when I woke up. I didn't have time to make something to eat before he and Fionn were to arrive at the house".

"Shit," Seven swore, "Cairo, I'm sorry. I completely forgot to ask if you ate. Fionn and I ate breakfast before we found out about Dimitri. We could've stopped and gotten you something on the way".

"It's fine," Cairo reassured, "and plus, I wouldn't have wanted to stop for food anyway. I was too worried about getting to Dimitri. I don't think I would've been able to keep down any breakfast I ate anyway".

"Can you eat now that you know I'm alright?" Dimitri requested, "please".

"Yeah, I can," Cairo answered, "I'll have to leave and go to the cafeteria though".

"That's okay, I'll still be here when you get back. I promise".

Cairo looked at Dimitri hesitantly and Dimitri gestured to the door. "Go eat something, please".

"I'll come with you," Fionn announced as he stood up, "I want something sweet".

"You're going to get cavities," Seven muttered.

Fionn punched his shoulder before walking to the door. Cairo stood up too because he didn't want to keep Fionn waiting. He looked at Dimitri and the older man lifted the oxygen mask from his face. Cairo wanted to protest because he was super worried for Dimitri, but the man didn't seem to be in too much discomfort without the continuous flow of oxygen.

"Kiss, please".

Cairo quickly gave him one so he'd put the mask back on faster. Dimitri chuckled and winced again at the slight pain. Cairo sighed and followed Fionn out of the room and down the hallway.

"I'm so glad he's okay, Fionn," Cairo stated, he shook his head, "I don't know what I would've done if he wasn't".

Fionn nodded his head in agreement and slung an arm over Cairo's shoulder. He gave him a gentle squeeze and spoke, "I'm glad he's okay too, mate. I can't imagine the pain you and Seven would've gone through if he wasn't alright".

Cairo couldn't imagine what the pain would've been like either. The only thing he was sure of was that it would've been immense and probably too much for him to bare.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Dimitri was terribly bruised. It had to be the worst bruising Cairo had ever seen in his life. It was a deep, dark purple-bluish splotch that started just beneath the man's left nipple and traveled across both his pectoral muscles and down to his stomach. Cairo was surprised to see that the bruise even wrapped a bit around Dimitri's sides and to his back. Cairo couldn't look at the bruise for too long or he would begin to feel sick. Looking at it reminded Cairo of what Dimitri had been through. It'd been a week since Dimitri had left the hospital, and Cairo had been tending to him as best he could. Cairo quickly learned something new about Dimitri as he cared for him. He learned that Dimitri was an absolutely terrible patient.

Dimitri still tried to do things around the house despite having a bruise that spanned his entire torso. No matter how many times Cairo reprimanded him and told him to sit down, Dimitri would somehow always end up back on his feet and trying to help Cairo. He'd told Cairo that he felt bad watching him cook all of their meals and tend to all of the household chores by himself. Dimitri thought he could do a lot more than he actually physically could. Cairo could secretly sense that Dimitri was growing frustrated with himself every time he had to take a couple of minutes to catch his breath due to his lungs still being sore. He could also sense Dimitri's frustration when the older man moved the wrong way and the pain from his bruise and ribs caused him to literally shout in pain.

Dimitri wasn't used to being off of work and off of his feet. It had only been a week and he was already becoming antsy. Dimitri had no idea how he was going to handle the next five weeks, and neither did Cairo. Cairo was going to take it in stride though, and he was sure they were both going to figure it out as they went. Cairo wondered if he should have Dimitri pick up a hobby while he was on bed rest. Something like crocheting or scrapbooking would be nice, but he doubted Dimitri would agree to an idea like that.

"I will literally take your handcuffs and cuff you to the bed if you don't sit down, Dimitri," Cairo threatened. He guided the man to the bed and helped him to lay down. "It's not time for your exercises yet, you need to rest".

Dimitri had exercises he needed to do in order to ensure that his lungs didn't fill with mucus due to his fractured ribs. He had to walk around, but only for a bit, and he also had to move his shoulders. He had to force himself to cough while he held a pillow to his chest, and it was one of the saddest things Cairo had ever seen. Dimitri hated coughing because it hurt him so bad, but it was something that he absolutely needed to do.

"That's kinky," Dimitri commented in response to Cairo's threat. "I don't think I quite mind being handcuffed to the bed".

Cairo rolled his eyes, "shut up and lay down. You're stressing me out".

Dimitri laughed and then promptly groaned afterwards. Once he was comfortably laying down, he looked at Cairo and smiled softly. "I'm sorry I'm causing you stress, love".

Cairo sighed and gave a small smile of his own, "I know you're not meaning to". He knelt down so he could be closer to Dimitri's level. He picked up the older man's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "you just won't sit down and I don't want you hurting yourself further".

"I'm restless," Dimitri said, stating the obvious.

"Trust me, I know," Cairo replied. He checked the time and looked at Dimitri, "you're able to take more pain medicine if you'd like. I'm not sure if you feel like you need it or not".

Dimitri had been prescribed oxycodone to help with his pain because regular ibuprofen just wasn't cutting it. Dimitri tried his best not to have to take the oxycodone because he didn't like the idea of taking the narcotic. There was a very high risk that he could become dependent on them and he didn't want to risk becoming addicted. He only took the drug when he felt like his lungs were on fire and his ribs and chest were giving him a particularly hard time.

"I'm okay," Dimitri reassured.

Cairo nodded, "if you're sure. You can always change your mind, just let me know if you do. I'm going to get Mabel so she'll keep you company while I make lunch".

"Do you want me to help you?"

Cairo softly thumped him on the forehead and huffed, "no, Dimitri, I do not. I want you to lay here and watch TV. That's it. If you must, you can FaceTime me and you can watch me in the kitchen so you won't be lonely".

"Okay," Dimitri smiled, he kissed Cairo on the lips and watched as he stood up straight. "I love you".

"I love you more," Cairo chimed.

"I love you most".

Cairo walked to the door and before he left the room he replied with, "not possible. I'll send Mabel up".

Dimitri watched him go and it wasn't long before Mabel was entering the room. She jumped onto the bed and walked over to Dimitri. He kept her from walking onto his chest like she usually liked to do.

"I'm out of commission, Mabel" he stated, "I'm sorry".

Mabel settled for sitting on his lap instead, and Dimitri proceeded to rub her. He listened to her low purrs of contentment as it was the only sound that could be heard in the room. He closed his eyes and sighed. Listening to Mabel's purrs was enough to make Dimitri want to fall asleep. The man was well on his way to taking a nap when his phone rang from where it was resting on the nightstand.

He struggled to reach it due to it being just out of his reach. He grunted and stretched himself further, slightly rolling his body.

"Fuck," he swore, gritting his teeth at the pain it caused.

Dimitri was able to grab his phone and he quickly returned to his previous position because it was comfortable and didn't cause him any pain. Dimitri looked to see who was calling and he hummed when he realized it was his mom.

"Hi, mom," he greeted once he had answered the phone.

"Hi, sweetheart," Dimitri's mother, Renae, greeted softly. "How are you feeling today?"

Dimitri had called his parents two days after he'd left the hospital to let them know what happened. They had no idea he'd been injured, and Dimitri hated that he had to unhinge their peace. He had made a promise to them though when he officially became a police officer. He promised to let them know when he had been hurt so they could check in on him and make sure he wasn't going through a tough time of healing.

"I feel okay right now," Dimitri answered honestly.

"That's good, I'm happy to hear. How has the first week been for you?"

With a sigh, Dimitri went on to confess, "it's been difficult. I'm not used to being away from work and staying off of my feet. I can't do anything around the house like I used to be able to. I don't know how the next few weeks are going to work out, mom".

"I know you're frustrated, Dimitri," Renae began, "I can hear it in your voice, but you have to remember what the doctor told you. Don't do anything to further injure your ribs or else they'll take longer to heal. Let Seven help you around the house when he can, okay? I can even come down and stay for a few weeks if you absolutely need me to as well. You know I don't mind at all".

"No, it's okay, mom," Dimitri stated, "I've got help. Cairo's been a wonderful support system for me".

It was quiet for a moment and Dimitri wondered why his mom hadn't spoken. When she did, Dimitri winced at her question, "who's Cairo?"

Dimitri looked up at the ceiling and frowned at his mistake. He hadn't told his mom about Cairo yet. He had told his dad about Cairo, and he remembered asking the man not to tell his wife. Dimitri knew his mother would start pestering him about grandchildren if she knew he was seeing someone, and Dimitri knew Cairo nor himself weren't ready for kids yet.

"Dimitri, who's Cairo? Are you seeing someone?"

"Yes, mom," Dimitri groaned, "I am".

Renae cooed and Dimitri rolled his eyes in amusement. "You are? Oh, Dimitri that's so sweet. Why haven't you mentioned him to me? How long have you two been together? What does he look like? Does he want kids?"

"I didn't say anything about him to you because I knew you'd start talking about giving you grandchildren," Dimitri said pointedly. "We've been together for five months, it'll be six soon. He's tall, but he's not taller than me, and he's Black. He has short hair and a lean body, and pretty brown eyes and a cute nose. I don't know, you'll have to see him in person one day. I was wanting to bring him home for Thanksgiving and Christmas actually. He does want kids, but not right now. He's twenty-two, he's still young".

"Does he live with you?" Renae asked, her voice revealing how happy she sounded.

"He does, he moved in a couple of weeks ago. Living with him has been great. He's it for me, mom. I really love him".

"I can't wait until Thanksgiving," Renae stated, and Dimitri smiled because it made him happy that his mom wanted to meet Cairo. "You two should come visit this weekend".

Dimitri quirked an eyebrow, "what?"

"I can't wait until Thanksgiving to meet Cairo," Renae clarified, "you should come back home this weekend, if you're able to. I don't know how bad you're hurting, if it'll be too much on you maybe your father and I could come to you instead. Would that be alright?"

Dimitri's mother respected his boundaries, and it was something Dimitri was grateful for. Dimitri stayed in the city that he had grown up in, but his mother and father moved away when his father got a better job one state over. The drive to his parents wasn't too long, no more than an hour and thirty minutes. If they really wanted to, his parents could pop up at Dimitri's house at anytime, but they didn't. His parents recognized that Dimitri was an adult who had his own life and most likely wouldn't appreciate his parents popping in on random days of the week. They always asked if they could come visit Dimitri before even beginning to pack their bags.

"I think I'd much rather come back home," Dimitri confessed. "I think it'd be nice to get out of the house. I haven't been out much since the incident".

"You'll come then?" Renae asked, "the twins are already planning to come this weekend too".

Dimitri scratched at his eyebrow and went back to petting Mabel when she meowed in protest.

"I'm not sure yet, I'll have to discuss it with Cairo first. I know he was okay with coming for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'll see if he'd like to visit this weekend, I don't see why he wouldn't, but I'd still like to run it by him".

"Okay, just let me know as soon as possible, please. Your father and I are going to cook dinner, and we'll need to know how much food to buy so we'll have enough to make for everyone".

Dimitri smiled, "okay, mom. I'll let you know, I promise".

"Alright, well I'll let you go then. I love you, Dimitri".

"I love you too, mom".

When his mother had hung up, Dimitri called Cairo via FaceTime and he smiled when the younger man appeared on his screen. Dimitri could see that Cairo was standing at the counter and cutting up the chicken he'd cooked into small bites.

"I'm surprised you haven't come downstairs yet," Cairo stated, glancing at his phone so he could look at Dimitri.

"I didn't want to make you upset".

"You know I only get upset out of love, right?" Cairo asked.

"I do," Dimitri answered. "When you come upstairs, there's something I want to talk to you about".

Cairo furrowed his eyebrows and slowly nodded his head, "okay, is it good or bad?"

"Good," Dimitri assured, "well at least to me it is, I'm not sure how you'll take it though".

"Oh, okay... I'll be up soon, I'm almost finished with lunch".

"Okay, I'm still going to watch you finish making it though".

Cairo nodded his head again because he didn't mind. Once he had plated the buffalo chicken wraps he'd made, he carried his and Dimitri's plates upstairs and went back downstairs to grab their drinks. Once he was back upstairs, he helped Dimitri move from where he was still laying down to an upright position.

"Thank you," Dimitri said once Cairo had handed him his plate.

"You're welcome, I hope you like it," Cairo replied, he picked up his own wrap and took a bite from it. Once he had swallowed it down, he spoke again, "what did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, so my mom called me while you were downstairs and I kind of let it slip that we were dating and living together. I told my dad about you months ago, so he's already known about you for a while. Anyway, my mom really wants to meet you now and she was wanting us to visit on the weekend. My brothers will be there too, so you can meet them as well. I told her you were looking forward to Thanksgiving, but that I wasn't sure about how'd you feel about visiting so soon. I wanted to talk to you about it".

Cairo stared at Dimitri and shook his head, "I don't know, Dimitri. This weekend is really soon. I have a lot of time to prepare myself to meet your family at Thanksgiving, but not this weekend".

"What do you have to prepare for?"

"I'm meeting your family, Dimitri," Cairo emphasized the word family. "That's a pretty big deal, don't you think? You know I get nervous literally all of the time. I might make a fool out of myself. What if they don't like me?"

"Cairo, my mom wants us to have kids. Trust me, she likes you already and she hasn't even met you yet".

Cairo sighed and thought about what Dimitri said. Cairo did want to meet Dimitri's family, he just kind of thought he'd have at least two more months before he had to. He was supposed to meet them on Thanksgiving, not this weekend. Meeting Dimitri's family was a big deal to Cairo because Cairo knew Dimitri's family meant a whole lot to him. They were tight knit, and Cairo wanted to make a good impression. He wanted them to like him because if they didn't, then it'd really hurt him. Cairo's own family didn't want anything to do with him, and if Dimitri's didn't either... Well Cairo wasn't sure what he would do.

"If you really don't want to go, then I'll let my mom know," Dimitri said.

"No, don't tell her that. I don't want her to get mad," Cairo replied.

Dimitri shook his head, "she won't get mad, maybe a little disappointed, but she won't hold it against you. If you don't want to go then we won't go, and don't think I'll be upset with you if we don't, Cairo".

"I want to go," Cairo stated, "I'll just be like super nervous the entire time".

Dimitri chuckled and Cairo watched as his features very briefly revealed his sudden discomfort.

"Should we even go with your injuries?" Cairo asked worriedly.

Waving his hand in a dismissive gesture, Dimitri answered, "we can go. I want to get out of the house. I haven't left since I was discharged from the hospital. Plus, when we get to my parents' house, my mom will be making sure I stay off of my feet just like you do now".

"Are you going to listen to her?" Cairo asked with a raised eyebrow, "because you barely listen to me when I tell you to sit down".

Dimitri smiled at Cairo's words, "I won't".

Cairo rolled his eyes and went back to eating his wrap. They finished eating lunch and Dimitri asked Cairo if he could bring the laundry upstairs for him to fold. Cairo agreed because folding laundry didn't take much work to do and he knew it wouldn't cause Dimitri any pain. Cairo helped Dimitri fold the laundry and once it had all been folded and put away, he sat back down. The two watched TV until Cairo eyed the clock and noticed the time.

"Do you want to do your exercises now?" He asked Dimitri, his voice quiet.

"Not really, but I'll do them anyway," Dimitri answered.

Cairo didn't technically need to help Dimitri with his exercises. The older man could very well do them himself. Cairo didn't care that Dimitri could do them on his own. He liked helping him and Dimitri didn't seem to mind that he did. He'd fall back if Dimitri told him to, and the man had yet to say anything to him, so Cairo was going to continue helping.

Dimitri rolled his shoulders and he huffed at the feeling. The man had always considered his pain tolerance to be high, but he was beginning to rethink that. Being shot in the chest three times and having fractured ribs and bruised lungs made him realize that he could only handle but so much pain. Moving his shoulders was a tolerable pain, but having to cough so his lungs stayed clear was excruciating.

Cairo gave him a pillow to hold to his chest because his doctor recommended Dimitri do so. It was supposed to somewhat ease the pain. Dimitri coughed and he grunted afterwards. The pain wasn't something he had ever felt before. The closest thing he could compare it to was the time he had been tackled full on by a boy twice his size when he played football in high school. He had been knocked to the ground so hard he thought he wasn't going to be able to get back up. He had gotten back up though, and that tackle hadn't forced him into the hospital and given him bruised lungs and fractured ribs. Being shot three times while wearing a bulletproof vest hurt so much more.

It was an intense stabbing pain, one that sat in his chest and even traveled down to his stomach. The muscles in his arms ached as he clutched the pillow to his chest in hopes that it would make the feeling go away. It didn't, and Dimitri could feel himself becoming nauseas with the onslaught of discomfort.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Dimitri muttered.

Cairo stood up to grab the trashcan that they kept in the corner of the room. He moved faster when Dimitri nodded his head and added, "yeah, I'm going to throw up".

Cairo grabbed the pillow from Dimitri and placed the trashcan in his lap just in time. He placed one hand on Dimitri's back and used the other to keep Dimitri's hair out of the way as he threw up the lunch he'd eaten hours ago.

"Shh," he whispered when he noticed Dimitri had begun to cry. "Are you crying because it hurts or because you're frustrated?"

"Frustrated," Dimitri answered. He sniffled and wiped at his eyes before shaking his head, "I'm really frustrated. I'm sorry".

"Don't be," Cairo replied, "I can understand why. I can tell that you're getting tired of being in pain. I wish there was something more that I could do for you".

Cairo moved his hand and pressed a thumb to Dimitri's temple. He slowly moved his thumb back and forth and Dimitri turned his head to look at Cairo.

"I'd kiss you," Dimitri began, sounding tired, "but that'd be pretty gross".

"It would be," Cairo agreed, smiling softly. "I'll kiss you on the forehead instead". Cairo pressed a kiss to Dimitri's forehead before continuing to speak, "do you still feel sick?"

"No," Dimitri answered.

"Good, do you want to go brush your teeth while I get rid of this?" Cairo asked, pointing to the trashcan.

Dimitri nodded and once he had been helped up from the bed, he walked into the bathroom and Cairo took the trash bag out of the trashcan. He tied the bag shut and carried it downstairs and tossed it away in the larger trashcan outside of the house. When he returned back to the bedroom, Dimitri was still brushing his teeth. When he was finished, he walked back to the bed and laid down as easily as he could.

"I'm really tired," Dimitri commented absentmindedly.

"Take a nap," Cairo suggested, "I suppose by the time you wake up it'll be around dinner time. I'll make something on the blander side so it won't mess with your stomach, okay?"

"Okay," Dimitri agreed with a nod, he breathed deeply and sighed.

He couldn't wait until his lungs weren't sore anymore and his ribs were healed, and his chest was free of its bruise. Right now, as he laid on his back, he could feel the aching in his chest. It didn't hurt too much, but it was enough to keep him awake despite being tired. He didn't want to ask for his medicine, but he also wanted to go to sleep. When it came to the two, there was simply one he wanted more than the other.

"Can you hand me my medicine, please?"


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

"I'm going to throw up in your car," Cairo announced, "like literally all over the dashboard, Dimitri".

Dimitri laughed from where he sat in the passenger seat. He huffed out a breath at the aching in his chest as he struggled to calm down, "Cairo, please".

"Sorry, I'm sorry," Cairo giggled, "I didn't think you'd find that funny".

Humming softly, Dimitri took a slow breath in and let it out. "It's alright, but are you really going to be sick?"

"No, I'm just being dramatic. I am nervous though".

"Already? We just got on the road".

"It'll only get worse as we get closer to our destination".

Dimitri and Cairo were on their way to the house of Dimitri's parents. They'd left early in the morning because since they wouldn't be staying the night, they wanted to have enough time to spend with Dimitri's family. They dropped Mabel off with Seven and Fionn because since she was older, Cairo didn't want to leave her alone for the entire day. Fionn had cracked a joke about him and Mabel sharing the same relatives since they both had orange hair, and then Dimitri and Cairo were hitting the road.

Cairo was driving because he told Dimitri he would. He had no idea where he was going, but Dimitri was good at giving directions from where he sat beside him. Once they were on the highway and would be for a while, Cairo spoke.

"Is there anything important I should know about your parents or brothers before I meet them?"

Dimitri thought for a moment and then shook his head, "honestly? Not really".

"Nothing? Do your parents expect me to bring them like a gift or something? Since they're allowing me into their house. I can stop at the store".

"No, Cairo, they're not expecting a gift," Dimitri smiled in amusement. "They just expect you".

"Okay, I'm just making sure".

Dimitri nodded his head in understanding, and he went on to speak when he thought of something that might be important for Cairo to know. "Oh, my brothers are going to trick you".

"What?" Cairo asked, "like how? Dimitri, I will literally turn the car around and go back home".

"You're doing a terrible job of not making me laugh," Dimitri commented through his laughter. He shifted in his seat and took a deep breath to get through the pain. "They're just going to lie about who they are. Purposely make you confused about who's who. They still get a kick out of it even though they're in their twenties".

"Won't they be wearing different clothes?"

"Probably not. They'll most likely both be wearing sweatpants and a school shirt".

"Well is there anyway I can tell them apart?"

"Aiden wears glasses, but if he's wearing his contacts, which he will be, then you can tell them apart by their eyes and ears. Nathanial has slightly larger ears than Aiden and Aiden's eyes are a bit closer together than Nathanial's".

"Is this something I'll be able to easily notice? Or are you just aware of it because they're your brothers".

"Because they're my brothers," Dimitri replied, "but I'll help you out if you need it".

"Good, because I will. Did your brothers do that thing where they used to swap clothes and go to school as the other person?"

"Yeah," Dimitri smiled, "they did it three times in elementary school, four times in middle school, and once in high school. My parents were pissed every single time. I thought it was hilarious, and so did my brothers, but my parents were never able to find the humor in it".

Cairo smiled, "that's cool. It must be nice having a twin, you think?"

"I think so, as long as they get along with one another. Aiden and Nathanial get along great. They have the same humor and run off of each other".

"I'm still feeling nervous, but I'm kind of looking forward to meeting them," Cairo confessed.

Dimitri looked at him and grinned, "they'll like you".

Cairo continued driving, and once Dimitri told him they were only about fifteen minutes away, he felt his nerves spike. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel and gave himself a mental pep talk. He told himself he was going to be fine. He wasn't going to do or say anything to embarrass himself, and if he did then he was going to take it all in stride. He was going to be himself and enjoy the company that surrounded him.

When Cairo pulled into the driveway of the house, he looked at Dimitri who was already looking at him. The older man gave him a reassuring smile, "I promise you will be fine".

"Okay," Cairo replied, "I believe you".

The two got out of the car and made their way to the door. As they walked up the walkway, Cairo noticed the well kept lawn and beautiful flowers that decorated the front of the house. There were roses and hydrangeas, and sunflowers as well.

"Did your mom plant all of these flowers?" Cairo asked.

"No, my dad," Dimitri answered as he stepped onto the porch. "He did plant them for my mom though".

"That's so sweet," Cairo cooed quietly.

Dimitri rang the doorbell and Cairo abruptly grasped his arm. "Wait, what do I call your parents?"

Dimitri looked at him with a peculiar expression, "their names".

"No, but like, I mean do I sa-" Cairo stopped talking when the front door opened. He stood slightly behind Dimitri and let the man do all of the talking. An older woman had answered the door, and Cairo could immediately tell it was Dimitri's mother. The man had the same almond shaped eyes and curled eyelashes as her, and they also shared the same head shape as well.

"Hi, mom," Dimitri greeted, "how are you?"

Renae smiled and went to hug her son, but she stopped before she could make contact with him. Dimitri grinned and kissed her cheek, "I'll hug you when I'm able to".

"Okay, sweetheart, but hello. I'm good, how are you?"

"I'm good too, I see the twins are already here," Dimitri stated as he used his thumb to point behind him at the other cars in the driveway.

"They are, they came last night".

Renae looked behind Dimitri and gasped at the sight of Cairo. She took a step back and motioned for them to come into the house. "Come in, please. I didn't mean to have you standing outside. It's far too hot for that". Once they had stepped into the house and the front door had been closed, Renae greeted herself to Cairo. "Hello honey, I'm Renae, Dimitri's mother. It's nice to finally meet you".

Cairo smiled and carefully held his hand out for her to shake. "I'm Cairo, it's nice meeting you as well".

"Oh, I'm a hugger," Renae stated at the sight of Cairo's hand. "Is it alright if I hug you?"

Cairo nodded and let Renae hug him. He had no idea how she was able to do it, but being in her arms felt comfortable and right. He felt kind of at home, and he had only just met her. He looked to Dimitri to find that he looked pleased.

"Your father is in the kitchen," Renae said to Dimitri once she had released Cairo from her hug. "Your brothers are in the living room, and Natasha is here as well".

"Okay," Dimitri nodded his head, "I'll introduce Cairo to the twins".

"Okay, I'll get your father from the kitchen".

Dimitri took Cairo's hand into his and began to lead him to the living room. "You okay?" He asked quietly.

Cairo nodded, "yes".

"Still nervous?"

"Not as much," Cairo answered honestly, "your mom is so pretty, Dimitri. You have her eyes".

Dimitri smiled, "I'm glad, and I do".

The two walked into the living room to find a young man lounging in a recliner while another was sitting on the couch with a girl beside him. Cairo figured the men must be the twins because they looked alike and the girl must be Natasha. Cairo wasn't sure who Natasha was to Dimitri because he had failed to mention her to him. Cairo watched as one twin lifted his head from his phone and turned it in their direction when they walked in. Cairo could see Dimitri in his brothers as well, there were hints of him mixed in with the young men's features. They had the same ears and hands, it was interesting to see.

"Dimitri, bro, what's up?" The man hopped up from where he was sitting in the recliner and approached Dimitri.

The other man who was sitting on the couch stood up when he realized Dimitri was there. He walked up and stood beside his twin, and Dimitri had been right when he said they would probably be wearing similar clothes. They had on sweatpants and their college shirts because Cairo supposed it was comfortable, but he also figured they had worn it to give him a hard time. Neither of them were wearing glasses either, and when Cairo looked at their ears and eyes, he had absolutely no idea what Dimitri had been talking about. Cairo could literally not tell whose ears were slightly bigger and whose eyes were slightly closer together.

"Nothing much, how've you been?"

"I've been great".

"How's school?"

Cairo watched the young man roll his eyes, "I'm still attending so I guess it's going alright".

"And you?" Dimitri asked, looking to the other man.

When he rolled his eyes too, Cairo realized how oddly unsettling it was that they had done it in the exact same way. "School's school, man. What more can I say?"

Cairo watched as two pairs of eyes landed on him and he suddenly felt uncomfortable. He smiled nervously and greeted himself, "hello, I'm Cairo".

"Hey, I'm Aiden," the boy on the right grinned.

The one on the left smiled, "I'm Nathanial".

The girl, Natasha, spoke up from where she sat on the couch, "they're lying to you".

"They are," Dimitri agreed as he pointed to his brother on the right. "He's Nathanial," he pointed to his brother on the left, "he's Aiden".

"They literally do this to everyone," Natasha stated with an amused shake of her head. "I don't know why they think it's so funny to confuse people". She stood up and joined them, she stood beside Nathanial who was sharing a laugh with his brother. "I'm Natasha, by the way. I'm Nathanial's girlfriend, it's nice to meet you".

Cairo smiled at her, he was relieved she had immediately helped him out and decided not to go along with the twin's game. Just like Dimitri's mother had been, Natasha was pretty too. She had pretty green eyes and her skin tone was close to Cairo's. Her hair was styled into jumbo box braids that stopped at her waist and she was wearing a yellow jumpsuit.

"It's nice meeting you too, I'm Cairo," the man looked to Aiden and Nathanial, "it's nice meeting you both".

They continued to grin and Aiden replied with, "yeah, man, same to you".

"Dimitri, son!" Dimitri's father called as he stepped into the living room with Renae following behind him. "You've both made it, I see".

Dimitri had his mother's eyes and her head shape, but Dimitri had his father's nose and his chin. He got his height from his father as well, because Dimitri's father was tall. Cairo knew Dimitri was six foot two, and his father was still taller than him. He figured the man had to be somewhere around six foot four. Aiden and Nathanial were tall too, but they were closer to Cairo's height than Dimitri's.

"Hi, dad," Dimitri said as his father gave him a pat on the shoulder.

He gave one to Cairo as well and introduced himself, "I'm Charles, it's nice meeting you".

"Cairo," Cairo greeted, "it's nice meeting you as well".

"Was the drive here alright?" Charles asked, looking between Cairo and Dimitri.

Cairo nodded, "it was, we didn't hit much traffic at all".

"That's good, I'm glad you guys didn't run into any problems. Did y'all eat? The twins made breakfast and I told them to leave some for you both".

"We haven't eaten, breakfast would nice," Dimitri stated.

Renae took it upon herself to usher everyone into the kitchen. Dimitri guided Cairo to the counter and the two began to make themselves a plate of food as everyone around them held quiet conversations. Aiden hopped up onto the island and sat on top of it, and as Dimitri was passing him, the older man purposefully bumped into his legs. When his brother went to hit him, Dimitri looked at him and smirked.

"I'm injured, you can't touch me," he stated.

Aiden rolled his eyes, "you're so annoying".

Cairo smiled softly at their interaction and found a place to sit at the kitchen table. Dimitri placed his plate beside Cairo's and got them glasses of orange juice before sitting beside him.

"Speaking of," Charles began, "how are you feeling? Is everything healing alright?"

"It's been pretty painful at times, I'm not going to lie. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and I got another X-ray done. So far everything is healing well," Dimitri answered.

Dimitri had been nervous about how his ribs and lungs were doing when he went in for a check up. He had received good nows though, and he had been happy to report back to Cairo about it. The younger man had congratulated him and told him he was happy for him.

"Which I'm surprised about because Dimitri literally won't stay seated for no more than an hour," Cairo stated. "I tell him I don't need his help with the house chores and to take it easy, but he doesn't listen and tries to help anyway".

Renae laughed softly from where she was moving about in the kitchen. "Oh, he's always been like that. Ever since he was little, he just couldn't sit down. I thought I was going to lose my mind, and then you can imagine my dread when I give birth to these two". She motioned to Aiden and Nathanial, "and they were just as hyper as Dimitri was".

"They used to drive their mother crazy," Charles said to Cairo. "At one point I thought she was going to leave for the night and just never come back".

"I've thought about it once or twice," Renae admitted, "but ultimately, I'd never".

"Damn, we were that bad?" Nathanial asked.

"Language, and yes, you were," Renae stated. She gave Dimitri a pointed look, "you need to listen to Cairo when he tells you to sit down".

Dimitri smiled sweetly, "yes, ma'am".

Cairo rolled his eyes because he knew the second they got home, Dimitri wasn't going to listen to him at all.

"Tell us about yourself, Cairo," Natasha said, "how'd you meet Dimitri?"

"Oh, um..." Cairo thought for a moment about whether it would be a good idea to tell the truth or not.

He was sure telling everyone that he had met Dimitri when he was drunk off of his ass would make him look bad. Cairo settled for simply not mentioning him being drunk at all.

"I met him after leaving a club, he was patrolling the streets and I bumped into him. I'm twenty-two and I moved to the city a few years ago. I work at a pet store, and I don't really know what else to say... I'm not very interesting".

"Don't say that, man. We're sure you're interesting, Dimitri wouldn't be with you if you weren't".

Cairo looked to Nathanial when he spoke, or at least Cairo hoped he was looking at Nathanial. He honestly wasn't sure who had just spoken to him if he was being honest. He wondered how long it was going to take for him to be able to tell the twins apart. 

Cairo smiled, "well thank you, that's kind of you to say".

As Dimitri and Cairo finished eating breakfast, they continued to talk with Dimitri's family. Cairo could feel himself losing his nervousness as the hours went by. By the time it had hit noon, he felt really comfortable around everyone. They had separated into different groups by one o'clock. Dimitri and Charles were in the backyard cooking food on the grill, and Aiden, Nathanial, and Natasha were back in the living room trying to find a movie to watch. Cairo was with Dimitri's mother, and he was helping her bake a pie. He'd never made pie from scratch before, but he did enjoy baking. When Renae had asked if he would like to help, he said yes.

"Before we begin, can you do me a favor and take this to Aiden?" Renae asked as she held up her son's phone. "He's going to start looking for it soon, he always puts things down and walks away, and just forgets about what he's left behind. He's had to replace this thing two times already".

Cairo chuckled at Renae's words and took the phone from her. He walked into the living room and took a few seconds to see if he could figure out which twin was who. He'd been secretly trying all day and he was paying attention to which twin answered to which name. Natasha was sitting on the couch with one twin and the other was in the recliner. Cairo decided Aiden was sitting in the recliner and Natasha was sitting beside Nathanial because they were a couple.

Cairo walked over to the recliner and held the phone out for the other man to take, "your mom told me to give this to you... Aiden".

The man in front of him smiled, and Cairo felt himself blush in embarrassment when the one sitting on the couch spoke, "thanks, but I'm over here".

"I'm sorry, I thought I had it right this time," Cairo muttered as he went to turn around.

The twin who Cairo originally thought was Aiden laughed. "You do," he replied, "I'm Aiden, we're just messing with you". He took his phone and dropped it into his lap, "thank you".

"They did the same thing with me when I first met them too, Cairo," Natasha informed. "It gets easier the longer you're around them".

"I'm glad I'm not the only who's struggled to tell them apart," Cairo admitted as he laughed a little. "I've been trying to keep track of who is who all day".

"The next time you see us, we won't be wearing the same thing," Nathanial stated. "We rarely ever wear the same clothes anymore. We just did it today because we knew we were meeting you".

"Well that's comforting to know," Cairo said, and it really was. Cairo didn't think he'd be able to keep track of the twins every time he was around them.

When he returned to the kitchen, Renae shook her head, "I could hear you all talking in there. I'm sorry Aiden and Nathanial are purposefully giving you a hard time. They've been doing the switching thing since they were in elementary school. I thought they would've grown out of it by now".

"It's okay," Cairo reassured, "I'm not mad or annoyed, it's kind of amusing to be honest. I have no idea how you all can tell them apart. Dimitri told me about their eyes and ears, but I just can't see the difference yet. Have you always been able to tell them apart?"

Renae laughed, "absolutely not. When they were newborns, Charles and I struggled so much to tell who was who. We actually ended up completely mixing them up and we had to go back to the hospital to have their fingers and feet printed again so we could compare them to the finger and footprints we had from when I had first given birth to them. After that we had them wear different colored bracelets until we could easily distinguish them apart".

As Renae gathered the necessary ingredients to make the pie crust, Cairo washed his hands and replied, "that's funny. I bet if my siblings had been twins, my parents would've had to do the same thing".

"You have siblings?"

"I do, I have a younger brother and sister. We're not close though," Cairo stated, he didn't want Renae to get the idea that his family was like her own. "I haven't been in contact with my family for a long time. I was really nervous to meet you guys because you all mean so much to Dimitri. If his family didn't like me like my own didn't, then I wasn't sure what I'd do. I hope I've made a good first impression though".

"You have," Renae reassured.

She looked at Cairo and she wanted to give him a hug, but she had already washed her hands and gotten them dirty with flour. "We all really like you, and we can see how much Dimitri loves you by the way he looks at you. I'm sorry you don't have a good relationship with your family, but you've got a good relationship with us, sweetheart. We have room for one more, you're welcome here".

Cairo felt relieved because that's exactly what he needed to hear in order to him to completely relax. He wanted to laugh at how nervous he had been that morning. It was obvious to him now that he had been freaking out for nothing. Dimitri's family had greeted him with open arms and they had accepted him without a second thought. Cairo wondered why his own family couldn't do the same, but he quickly decided that it didn't matter. Dimitri's family was there for him, and they had only just met him. It was something Cairo was extremely grateful for.

"Thank you," Cairo said as he blinked his eyes a few times. He wasn't going to cry, at least not yet. He would save his tears for the ride back home. "You don't know how much what you've just said means to me".

"You're welcome, honey," Renae spoke, her voice soft. She gently nudged him and smiled, "when we've put the pie in the oven, I'm going to show you baby pictures of Dimitri. Don't tell him though, he'll get embarrassed".

With an amused laugh, Cairo nodded his head and replied, "okay, I won't, I promise".


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

"We won't be out long, right?" Cairo asked as he looked towards Dimitri. The older man nodded his head in response to Cairo's question. "Good, because I don't want you getting bumped into or anything".

"I'll be fine, hopefully we'll be able to get a booth and I can sit down for the majority of our time there. I want to go out despite my injury, we'll be celebrating you and Fionn moving in with Seven and I. It'll be a nice time, I'm sure," Dimitri stated.

Cairo and Dimitri were getting ready for a night out with Fionn and Seven. The men were going out to have drinks at Club Fahrenheit in celebration of Fionn moving in with Seven, and Cairo moving in with Dimitri. They were using their moving in as an excuse to spend time together and have some fun.

Cairo watched Dimitri from where he was laying on the bed. The older man had just got out of the shower and was standing at the bathroom sink as he brushed his teeth. A towel was wrapped around his waist and he had pulled his hair up into a neat bun. Cairo could only see the man's side profile as he continued to lay down and watch Dimitri get ready.

"It's coming close to another month passing..." Cairo said absentmindedly.

"Yeah?" Dimitri said around the toothbrush in his mouth. He was watching himself in the mirror as he brushed his teeth, so he didn't see the way Cairo frowned and shook his head.

"There's going to be another murder soon..." he murmured, "that makes me upset. There's someone out there who has no idea that soon their life is going to be over. Isn't that terrible?"

Dimitri spit into the sink and turned the cold water knob so that water could begin to run from the faucet. He cupped his hands and collected water into them and used it to rinse his mouth clean. Once he had finished rinsing his mouth and drying his hands, he walked into the room and joined Cairo on the bed.

"It is terrible," Dimitri agreed, "I haven't been to work in a week and some days, but I have faith in my department, Cairo. I know they're still searching for the murderer, and I know it may not seem that way because of the continuous killings. Whoever is doing this is just too good, and as far as I know, we've never dealt with a serial killer in this city. I hate the idea of someone else getting killed because my department can't seem to find any sustainable evidence".

Dimitri desperately wanted his department to figure out who was behind the murders. They still hadn't learned anything new, and it was beginning to bother Dimitri because why was it so hard for them to get a lead? Why and how was the murderer so good at killing people? It was a bit unsettling to know that the police detectives were stumped. If they couldn't figure it out, then who else could? Dimitri briefly wondered if it would eventually be passed off to the higher ups if his department couldn't get things under control any time soon.

"Do you think we should even go out tonight?" Cairo asked warily. "I don't want anything happening to you, me, Seven, or Fionn. I know I'm the only one who fits the demographic of the murders, but that doesn't mean the killer can't switch things up, you know?"

Dimitri reached a hand out and placed it on top of Cairo's head, his fingers ran through Cairo's hair. "We'll all be fine, I'm sure of it. I won't let anything happen to any of you. If you really do feel uncomfortable, I can let Seven and Fionn know. They'll understand how you're feeling".

Cairo thought for a moment before shaking his head, "no, it's okay. I don't want to be the reason why we call the night off. I know Fionn was really excited about going out and having a good time".

With a small nod, Dimitri patted Cairo's thigh, "okay, if you're sure".

"I am," Cairo affirmed, he looked to Dimitri's chest. It seemed like Dimitri's bruise was beginning to heal because his skin looked less purple and blue. His doctor had told him it'd take longer for it to heal due to his bruise being very severe. Dimitri had only just hit week two of recovery, so Cairo knew it would still take some time for his body to be back to how it was before the accident.

"I'm glad they found who did this to you," Cairo whispered as he carefully placed a hand on Dimitri's stomach. His touch was light because he had no intention of accidentally causing Dimitri pain. "He deserves prison time".

The man who shot Dimitri had been found not long after he had fled. Even though he had been shot at very suddenly, Dimitri had been able to remember important details of what the suspect had looked like. Cairo wasn't sure if it made him a bad person for being glad someone was being sent to prison. He didn't really care if it did because he had very little sympathy for people who purposefully tried to hurt, let alone kill, another person. That's what the man had tried to do to Dimitri, and he could've been so close to succeeding.

"Is that bad for me to say?" Cairo asked.

"I don't think so," Dimitri answered, "I think he deserves prison time too". Checking the time, he continued to speak, "we'll have to leave soon".

"Oh, shit," Cairo said as he promptly rolled over. He got up from the bed and began to change out of the lounge clothes he had thrown on after getting out of the shower earlier. Dimitri watched him in amusement and as he went to get up himself, he moved wrong and grunted at the sharp ache on the left side of his chest. 

"Can you help me up, please?" He asked.

Cairo didn't hesitate to walk over and grab Dimitri's hands. He pulled the man up and huffed in faux annoyance, "you're heavy".

"I don't ever hear you complain about me being heavy while I'm on top of you when we're having sex," Dimitri pointed out with a grin.

Cairo went to playfully punch Dimitri in the chest, but he stopped short and settled for a soft thump on the forehead instead. "Shut up".

"It's true," Dimitri said as he pecked Cairo's lips.

The younger man blushed, "yeah, yeah, just put some clothes on, so we can get going".

It didn't take Cairo and Dimitri long to finish getting ready. Cairo tended to Mabel before they left the house and Dimitri texted Seven letting him know they were on their way. Cairo drove and as Dimitri sat in the passenger seat of his car, he admired the younger man. Cairo could see Dimitri looking at him out of the corner of his eye, and when it was safe for him to do so, he quickly glanced at Dimitri.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I just think you look really nice".

Cairo smiled and as he concentrated on driving, he replied, "thank you. I think you look nice too".

"You're welcome, you're wearing the same pants you wore when Seven and I went out to the gay club with you and Fionn months ago".

"You remember what I was wearing?"

Dimitri nodded, "yes, I remember thinking that your jeans were the tightest skinny jeans I had ever seen in my life".

Cairo laughed in amusement, "they are pretty tight, yeah".

"You look good in them though," Dimitri complimented, "and I bet you'd look even better out of them too".

"You can find out if you're right later on tonight," Cairo teased, "you think you can wait that long?"

Dimitri smirked, "I hope so, if not then we might just be leaving early".

Cairo laughed once more and reached a hand out to place atop Dimitri's. He gave the man's hand a squeeze, but he didn't say anything. When he returned his hand back to the steering wheel, Dimitri placed his own hand onto Cairo's thigh and he kept it there the entire ride to the club. When Cairo found a parking spot in the lot and the car had been turned off, Dimitri leaned over and guided Cairo into a kiss. It was one that sent a message, a promise that more was to come when they got back home.

Cairo flinched in surprise at the sudden tapping on his window and Dimitri chuckled as he looked over the younger man's shoulder to find Fionn watching them.

"We can see you, your windows are not as tinted as you may think," the Irish man stated.

With a roll of his eyes, Cairo turned his head to look at his friend. He pushed open the door and watched as Fionn stepped to the side so he could avoid getting hit. "Hi, Fionn".

"Hi, mate, how'ya doing this lovely night?" Fionn asked as he grinned. He slung an arm around Cairo's shoulders.

"I'm doing great, where's Seven?"

"He's standing in line waiting on us to get back to him," Fionn said as he began to guide them to the line.

It was moving rather quickly, and Fionn didn't want Seven to get in before they could find him. He knew inside of the club would be dark and a bit crowded and he didn't want to spend most of the night searching for him.

"Hey, Dimitri, I'm glad you could make it out. I pulled some strings with one of my bartender friends, she's holding a booth for us".

Dimitri smiled, "hey, and thanks. I appreciate you getting us one".

"I thought I was going to have to get out of line," Seven commented when Dimitri, Fionn, and Cairo had joined him in line.

Only a few people behind them grumbled in annoyance about essentially being cut in line, but ultimately no one spoke up about it.

"I told you I'd make it back in time," Fionn smiled as he went to peck Seven's cheek.

Seven turned his head so Fionn's kiss landed on his lips instead, "I know".

"Hi, Seven," Cairo greeted as he gave the man a quick hug.

"Hey, Cairo," Seven replied, he settled for giving Dimitri a smile instead of their usual greeting of a hug. "Hey, man".

"What's up? How long have you guys been here?" Dimitri asked as he moved to stand beside him.

"Not long, maybe ten minutes," Seven answered.

Dimitri nodded his head and looked to his left when he felt Cairo beside him. The younger man placed a gentle arm around Dimitri's waist as he held a conversation with Fionn. Dimitri draped his arm around Cairo's shoulders like Fionn had previously done. As he listened in on the conversation, he realized Cairo was telling Fionn about meeting Dimitri's family.

"They were the absolute sweetest, Fionn," Cairo stated, "and his brothers are so funny. We ate dinner there and I swear I spent the majority of the time laughing because of the things the twins said. I baked a pie with Dimitri's mom and his dad took me aside at one point and showed off his sports trophies he'd received when he was in school and we talked about sports for a while. I don't know shit about sports, but it was still a really nice conversation".

Seven laughed at Cairo's statement and nodded his head, "that's Charles for you. He's always got to get his sports talk in".

Cairo smiled, "he got so enthusiastic about it, it was very endearing. Dimitri's whole family is so kind. I was so nervous to meet them at first, but it was all for nothing. They treated me like I was one of them. It was really nice".

After hearing Cairo's words, Dimitri gave his shoulders a gentle squeeze. He didn't want to get too sentimental at the moment, so he settled for pressing a short kiss to Cairo's temple instead.

The four men moved forward in the line until they were at the door. After they had all been carded, they finally stepped into the club and proceeded to look for an empty booth. Just like Fionn had said, there was one waiting for them and Dimitri was glad. There were a lot of people in the building, which wasn't a surprise at all. Club Fahrenheit got busy, it was something Dimitri was well aware of.

"I'll get us drinks!" Fionn exclaimed, his voice loud so he could be heard over the even louder music that was being played.

Seven, Cairo, and Dimitri watched him head to the bar. They could see him from where they were sitting at their booth. Fionn returned quickly and slid their drinks across the table to them.

"Jess is working tonight," he announced, "she knows how to mix her alcohol. Enjoy".

Fionn held his drink in the air and the other three men tapped their glasses against his. Dimitri had no idea what he was drinking, but it was good. He knew it was going to be his only drink for the night, so he sipped it slowly. Cairo was going to get tipsy after three drinks, and if he decided to have more then he was going to get drunk. Dimitri was going to have to drive them home, but he didn't mind at all. He enjoyed seeing Cairo let loose and have a good time.

"We'll be back," Fionn grinned after he had finished off his drink. He grabbed Seven's hand and pulled the man up from where he was sitting. Seven quickly downed his own drink and gave a fleeting wave to both Cairo and Dimitri as he let Fionn pull him to the dance floor.

Cairo smiled in amusement and looked to Dimitri. It was dark, but the little light hanging above them helped Cairo in being able to see the older man.

"Do you want to dance?" Dimitri asked, "we can if you want when Fionn and Seven get back".

Looking to the dance floor, Cairo shook his head, "I don't want you getting hurt. I don't have to dance tonight, I like sitting here with you".

"You're sure? I'm sorry that I can't".

"It's fine, Dimitri," Cairo reassured, "I promise. We're out of the house and having drinks. I'm having a great time with you regardless of if we're sitting down the whole time or not".

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure".

Cairo and Dimitri spent most of their time sitting at the booth and sharing heated kisses. They wouldn't dare kiss the way they currently were in any other setting. It was dark in the club though, and no one was paying attention to them anyway. The kissing had Dimitri looking forward to when they got back home and the things he and Cairo would do. The two hadn't had sex since Dimitri had been hospitalized. The man had been in far too much pain to even think about partaking in penetrative sex, and he still was in pain every so often. He felt better more often than not though, and his hands worked fine. There were things Dimitri could still do to Cairo that didn't involve him using his upper body strength.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom and then get another drink. Do you want another?" Cairo asked. He knew what Dimitri's answer was going to be, but he still wanted to ask out of politeness.

Shaking his head, Dimitri replied, "no, I'm alright, thanks though".

Cairo nodded and stood up from the booth. Dimitri watched him leave for the bathrooms and he waited for his return. Cairo slipped passed people and squeezed between small groups as he walked to the bathroom. There was only one empty urinal and Cairo stepped up to it. Once he was finished relieving himself, he turned around and immediately bumped into someone.

"Sorry," Cairo quickly apologized and walked to the sinks to wash his hands. He looked up and turned his head so he could look at the person who he had bumped into, but they were gone. Shrugging his shoulders, Cairo finished washing his hands, and once they had been dried, he walked out of the bathroom. Cairo made his way to the bar next and when he got there, he waited for the bartender to take his order.

"You're Fionn's friend, right?" Jess, the bartender, asked once she was standing across from Cairo.

He nodded, "yeah".

"I thought so, I saw you come in with him. What can I get for you?"

"Could I get a tequila sunrise, please? Thanks". Cairo smiled as he handed over the money he needed in order to pay for his drink.

"Coming right up, just give me a minute," Jess said as she took Cairo's money and began to make his drink.

While he waited, Cairo turned his body away from the bar and looked to the booth Fionn had snagged for them. He could see Dimitri still sitting there and he was too busy watching the other man to notice Jess had set his drink down on the counter. She opened her mouth to let Cairo know that it was ready for him when a woman further down at the bar counter accidentally knocked over her full drink, causing it to spill everywhere.

"Jesus Christ," Jess muttered as she approached the spilled drink.

It took less than five seconds for the man who Cairo had bumped into in the bathroom to drop the small white pill into his drink. He had left the bathroom before Cairo could look him in the face and he had stayed close by as he waited for the younger man to walk out. He followed him to the bar, and when he was given the opportunity to slip something into Cairo's drink, he took it.

Cairo turned back around and noticed his drink waiting for him. He didn't even look to the man standing beside him before picking up the glass and walking back to Dimitri.

"I'm back," he said as he returned to his spot beside the older man. He drunk from his glass and immediately coughed into his fist.

"You alright?" Dimitri asked as he patted his back.

Cairo cleared his throat and nodded his head, "yeah, I'm okay. It's just really strong, it's got tequila in it". He lifted the glass in Dimitri's direction, "do you want some?"

Dimitri shook his head in response to Cairo's question, "I'm okay, I don't want to drink anymore since I'll be driving us home".

"So responsible," Cairo stated, "I love it".

He continued to drink from his glass and as he did so, he looked to the dance floor. From where he was sitting he could see Fionn and Seven dancing. He smiled and watched the two for a moment before he got distracted by the feeling of Dimitri's lips on his neck.

"You know what that does to me, Dimitri," he laughed as he playfully pushed him away.

Smirking in amusement, Dimitri nodded, "I know".

Cairo opened his mouth to give a snarky response, but he decided against it when he felt a strange bout of dizziness. He shook his head in hopes to clear it and when that seemed to make the feeling worse, he stopped. He could feel his stomach begin to churn as he sat at the booth and he moved to get up.

"I'll be back," he quickly stated.

"Where are you going?" Dimitri asked curiously with a quirked eyebrow. He looked at Cairo, but he couldn't tell there was something wrong.

"I feel like I'm going to be sick," Cairo answered. "I think I drank too much. I'll be back, I'm sorry".

Cairo left for the bathroom before Dimitri could respond to him. The older man watched him go and he furrowed his eyes in confusion because something didn't make sense to him.

"You only had one drink," he muttered.

Dimitri knew Cairo was a lightweight, but the younger man never got drunk off of one drink. He got tipsy, sure, but he had never felt the need to vomit after one drink. Dimitri stood up and decided to follow Cairo. He didn't want Cairo feeling unwell by himself. Dimitri struggled to find a way to the bathroom that didn't involve him having to squeeze by people. When he realized that there wasn't one, he prepared himself for being bumped into.

He had walked no more than five feet when a random man's elbow caught him in his side. "Shit," Dimitri gasped at the sharp pain and moved a hand to where he had been elbowed.

"Oh, fuck, I'm sorry, man!" The man who had elbowed Dimitri apologized, "it was an accident, my bad, I didn't see you".

Dimitri waved the man off and kept moving, "it's fine". Dimitri didn't have time to share words, he just wanted to get to Cairo.

When he had made it to the bathroom, he walked to the stalls and searched for the one that Cairo was in. The first two came up empty, and when Dimitri walked to the last one, he knocked on the closed door.

"This one's taken!" Someone who wasn't Cairo shouted, "try the other two!"

Dimitri turned around and quickly scanned the bathroom with his eyes. He didn't think he had accidentally walked passed Cairo, but maybe he had. When he realized Cairo wasn't in the bathroom like he had originally thought, he walked out of the bathroom and approached Seven and Fionn who were still enjoying themselves on the dance floor.

Dimitri grabbed Seven's arm and watched as his friend turned his head. He was smiling, but his smile immediately dropped from his face at the sight of Dimitri's worried expression.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Have either of you seen Cairo?" Dimitri asked as he looked between Seven and Fionn. "He said he was going to the bathroom because he didn't feel well. I followed after him like five minutes later and when I walked in, he wasn't there. I don't know where he is".

"I haven't seen him," Fionn stated.

"Me neither," Seven answered.

Fionn shook his head, "have you tried calling or texting him?"

"Not yet," Dimitri said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. The man hadn't realized he was shaking until he stared down at his trembling fingers. Through the flashing club lights, Seven noticed and decided standing in the middle of the dance floor wasn't the best idea. He lead Fionn and Dimitri back to their booth as Dimitri worked on getting into contact with Cairo.

Fionn could tell Dimitri was beginning to seriously worry as every time he called Cairo, he was sent to voicemail. Fionn knew Cairo, and not answering his phone was something Cairo simply didn't do.

"He's not answering," Dimitri muttered as he ended the call and tried again.

"Let me see if I can spot him," Fionn said as he moved to stand up on the seat of booth. Due to how high up he was, he could see all of the club, and he squinted his eyes to look through the darkness. All Fionn saw were people he didn't know either laughing and dancing, or drinking and talking. He didn't see Cairo, or anyone who resembled him. Fionn climbed down and when he was back to standing on the floor, he shook his head, "I don't see him".

Dimitri could feel his heart rate pick up due to anxiousness as he turned around in a circle to see if he could spot Cairo himself. When he came up empty, he shook his head and muttered to himself, "something's wrong". He looked to Fionn and Seven, "I have to go". Dimitri began to make his way to the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" Seven asked as he and Fionn didn't hesitate to follow behind Dimitri.

"Outside," Dimitri answered, "something's not right. Cairo would answer his phone, and he wouldn't just leave the club without letting one of us know".

When they stepped outside, Dimitri jogged to his car and Seven ran to his. Fionn decided to stick with Dimitri and when the men approached his empty car, Fionn shook his head. "I'm scared".

Fionn pulled out his phone and began to call Cairo like Dimitri previously had. All of his calls were going to voicemail, and it was doing nothing to settle the nervousness that was beginning to build within him.

"Cairo's not at my car," Seven informed as he approached them. "Has he texted or answered any calls yet?"

Dimitri shook his head and patted his pockets as he searched for his car keys. When he realized he didn't have them, he remembered that Cairo drove them there and he hadn't given his keys back to him. Dimitri walked to the entrance of the parking lot and when he saw that the sidewalks were empty, he jogged around to the backside of Club Fahrenheit. He wanted to check the entire area before deciding on what to do next. The back alley was empty just like the sidewalk had been, and as Dimitri went to turn around to return to the front of the building, something caught his eye.

He walked up to the object on the pavement and when he knelt down to pick it up, he realized that it was his car keys. Dimitri had been concerned before, but now he was definitely panicking. There was no reason for his keys to be behind the club unless Cairo had been there and dropped them on his way out. Dimitri didn't know what happened to Cairo from the moment he left for the bathroom, but he knew it wasn't good.

"I need to get to the police station right now," Dimitri said as soon as he had made it back to his car. He unlocked his car and opened the driver's door as Seven and Fionn stood off to the side. "My keys were in the back alley and Cairo's nowhere to found. I think something's happened to him".

"What?" Fionn asked, his voice trembling with fear. "What the fuck do you mean?"

"I don't have time to explain again," Dimitri said, "I've got to go".

"We're coming with you," Seven said as he opened the back door and ushered Fionn inside. He climbed in behind him and when the door was shut, he spoke again, "I'll come back for my car later. Let's go".

Dimitri was secretly glad that Seven and Fionn had sat in the backseat of his car. If one of them had sat in the passenger seat then they would've been able to see the way Dimitri's eyes had become watery with tears. He was trying his best to keep them from falling, but as he continued to drive with one hand and use the other to call Cairo again, he failed to keep them at bay.

"Cairo, I don't know what's going on, but if you're able to, I need you to call me back, please," Dimitri spoke into his phone when he had been met with Cairo's voicemail once again. He hung up and tossed the phone into the passenger seat.

Once he had pulled into the parking lot of the police department, he parked the car and turned it off. After getting out of the car, Seven and Fionn walked closely behind him as Dimitri entered the building.

The man behind the front counter immediately recognized Dimitri since he was the other man's coworker. He quirked an eyebrow out of curiosity and spoke, "hey, Dimitri. What're you doing here? You don't come back until like four or five more weeks, right?"

Dimitri didn't have time for small talk. He approached the counter and looked to his coworker. He wasn't sure how upset he looked, but he had the feeling it was very easy to tell that something was wrong. Dimitri's hands were still trembling due to how anxious he was. He felt like he could be sick at any moment because of the butterflies he was feeling in the pit of his stomach.

With urgency in his voice, he spoke, "I need to file a missing persons report".


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

The first thing Cairo does when he opens his eyes is groan. It's the type of groan that comes from the very pit of his stomach and lasts for more than three seconds. Cairo hasn't groaned like that since he was in high school and saw the grade he'd received on his midterm English paper. The second thing he does when he opens his eyes is wonder why his body feels so stiff and his mouth feels so dry. It feels like he's slept on a lumpy mattress for an entire week and has gone without water for months. The next thing he does is look around the room.

It's a room he's never seen in his life, and that's saying something because Cairo had been in many different rooms. The room he's in is small, and it's dark. The only light source is a small lamp in the far corner. From what Cairo can tell, the room has to be at least the size of half of a living room. The floor isn't covered in anything, there is no hardwood flooring or lush carpet. All that's there is unwelcoming concrete. The stains covering the concrete do not look promising, and for a brief second Cairo wonders what the stains could possibly be. His eyes move from the floor to the walls. The walls are bare, and just like the floor, the walls are concrete.

Cairo shifted on the bed he was laying on, and he weakly raised his hand to press his palm against the grey surface, but he stopped short. The clinking of metal against metal reached his ears and the man turned his head and stared at the heavy, industrial chain that is looped around his left ankle and has made itself at home. If Cairo was confused before, then he was absolutely mystified now. Not only that, but he was scared too. The first inklings of fear had slowly crept its way into his veins, and a lump had formed in his throat.

Cairo followed the link of chain from his ankle, and he saw that it traveled off of the bed. He leaned his body to the left due to the bed being in a corner of the room. The pile of chain resting by the leg of the bed was unsettling to see. It had to be about thirty feet of chain all piled together. Cairo willed his body to sit up from where he was currently laying down, but he realized he couldn't do so without putting in great effort. His body just felt too heavy to move on his own. It took him a handful of minutes to pull his knees up to his chest so he could lay in a fetal position. His heart began to race as he began to think.

He couldn't remember much of anything.

The last thing he remembered clearly was telling Dimitri that he was going to the bathroom. He remembered being at Club Fahrenheit with Fionn, Seven, and Dimitri. They were celebrating Fionn and Cairo moving in with Seven and Dimitri. He had got up to go to the bathroom and he failed to remember anything that happened after that. Had something happened when he was in the restroom? Is that why it was the last place he could remember being?

Cairo's head was aching and he carefully brought his hand up to his temple. He could feel the veins there throbbing beneath his finger tips and he muttered to himself about the pain. Cairo couldn't just lay in bed for the next couple of hours, so he forced himself to get up. It wasn't easy, but eventually he was able to sit up.

The clinking of the chain was exceptionally loud in the otherwise quiet room as Cairo moved to get up from the bed. He flinched softly when the bottom of his bare feet came in contact with the cold concrete floor. The man hadn't noticed how cold it actually was in the room he was in until he was standing on his feet. There weren't any windows to let any sunlight in, and now that Cairo thought about it, he doesn't actually know what time of day it was at all.

Cairo took small steps because he felt unsteady on his feet. He tried his best to ignore the dragging of the chain the further he ventured from the bed. His body felt heavy, and he honestly still did feel drowsy. It felt like there was a foreign substance still making its way out of his body, and with another strike of fear, Cairo realized that's probably what was most likely happening.

There was a bathroom in one of the four corners of the room, it had a toilet, a sink, a small mirror, and a bathtub/shower combo. That was it. There were no bathroom decor or anything that would give life to the bathroom. For a brief second, Cairo took notice of there being no door. The door hinges were there, but whoever this room belonged to, they took it upon themselves to remove the door.

Speaking of doors, Cairo had yet to notice one in the room at all. The four surrounding walls were just concrete. There was no door leading to another room, there was no door leading to freedom. The man craned his neck upwards and stared at the ceiling. Not to his surprise, it was concrete as well. There were ceiling lights, but there was no light switch in the room to turn them on. Cairo's eyes traveled the ceiling and a sinking feeling came upon him when he noticed the hatch door. He moved to stand beneath it, and even though he was of a tall stature, this wasn't a door that he could reach on his own.

It wasn't clear to him before, but it was absolutely clear now. Cairo wasn't in a room, he was in a bunker. That's why there weren't any windows for sunlight to filter in from. He was underground. The man's hands began to tremble as he realized what this meant. Something happened at the club. Dimitri wouldn't do this to him. Dimitri wouldn't use something to wipe Cairo's memory and relocate him to a bunker as a joke. Dimitri wasn't that type of person.

"Think, Cairo," Cairo murmured, his voice heavy with despair, "come on, y-you've got to think".

Hot tears were welling up in his eyes, and he was sure that if he had something in his stomach, he surely would've vomited it up by now. Cairo's watched tons of movies where the main character had been abducted, and he's always wondered what he would do if he were ever in a situation like that. The man always blew it off though, and he never took the time to think about what he would or should do because he figured it would never happen to him. Now that it had though, he was regretting his decision on not delving into the hypotheticals.

Cairo didn't have time to stand around and regret the things he should've done. From where he was standing, the hatch on the door above him clicked open. It was sudden, and it caused Cairo to flinch out of both fear and surprise. Without thinking, he retreated to the bathroom. He wasn't sure who had taken him, but he certainly didn't want to be standing right underneath the hatch door when he found out. From where Cairo stood, he could look into the mirror and use the reflection to see what was going on outside of the small bathroom.

A ladder was being lowered down, and it must've hooked onto the outside edge of the hatch door because it was standing straight up. Two feet clad in boots were the first thing Cairo saw, next were legs covered in jeans and then a torso in a simple black shirt. There was a book bag on the person's back, and Cairo's breathing hitched when he could finally see the entirety of the person descending the ladder.

Cairo didn't recognize the man at first, but the longer he stared at him, the more Cairo felt like he recognized him from somewhere. It felt like it was on the tip of his tongue on where Cairo had seen him before, but it just simply wasn't coming to him.

"So you're finally up," the man spoke, his voice deep and gruff. "I've checked in three times already".

With a shake of his head, Cairo wondered how long it had been since he'd been taken. He stayed quiet because he didn't want to attract attention to himself, but his attempt was futile as there was really only one place he could be. The long chain was a dead give away to where Cairo was as well.

"Come out of the bathroom, Cairo. We need to have a chat".

Squinting his eyes, Cairo focused on the man's voice because for some odd reason he felt like he had heard it before. He had no idea why, but Cairo felt like this hadn't been the first time he had come into contact with the man. It couldn't have been, the man called him by his name. He knew him somehow, or maybe he didn't and he had just learned his name by looking at his I.D. Cairo wasn't too sure.

"I said come out of the fucking bathroom".

Cairo flinched at the man's harsh tone and immediately walked out of his hiding place. The last thing he wanted to do was make this stranger angry. He had the upper hand and Cairo had no idea what the man would do to him if he didn't listen.

"What's going on?" Cairo hesitantly asked as he stood against the wall furthest away from his captor. "Does Dimitri know I'm here?"

Ignoring the younger man's questions, the man stared at Cairo and glared, "don't act like you don't know who I am".

"I... I don't," Cairo shook his head, "I don't know who you are".

Not only was Cairo scared, but he was now very confused as well. The man in front of him was speaking to him like he knew him, but Cairo could swear he had never seen him a day in his life.

"I think y-you might have me, um..." Cairo sniffled as he began to truly understand the situation he had been put in. He wiped at his cheeks when his tears left his eyes, "I think y-you've got the wrong person. I d-don't know who you are".

Cairo gasped out loud when the man quickly closed the distance between them. He scrambled to get away, but he was too slow. The man gripped his jaw tightly in his muscular hand and Cairo brought his hands up to try to claw the man's own hand off of him. He couldn't though, and the more he tried, the tighter the man's grip got until Cairo was gasping out of pain instead of fear.

"Look at me," the man ordered, "look me in the damn eyes and tell me again that you don't know who I am".

Cairo couldn't shake his head, but if he was able to then he would've. He stared the man in the eyes and as he did so, he felt like he was going to be sick from fear. His thoughts were racing a mile a minute because he was trying to figure out who this man was.

"Cairo, cub, come on".

Cairo's breathing hitched and for the next couple of seconds, he didn't breathe at all. He could feel his body stiffen and as he continued to stare at the man in front of him, he realized that there was only one person in his life who had ever called him that. It finally all clicked into place for Cairo. He did know the man in front of him. He had heard his voice before and he had known him for years. Memories were rushing back to Cairo far too quickly for him to handle and as a result he began to panic.

"You remember me now, don't you?"

The younger man was openly sobbing as he struggled through his abrupt panic attack. He tried sinking to the floor, and the older man let him. He towered over Cairo and watched with unsympathetic eyes as Cairo experienced helplessness.

Cairo couldn't see an end to his panic attack. It had to be the absolute worse one he had ever experienced as all of the repressed memories were coming back to him one by one. It was hard for him to handle and he couldn't get a sturdy grasp on reality. All he knew was that his past had finally caught up to him and it was time for him to deal with it. Too many things were happening to Cairo, and his body knew it. In response to his severe emotional distress, his body decided the best thing to do was to shut down.

"I'm... I'm g-going to pass out," Cairo muttered to himself. He felt lightheaded and like he couldn't breathe. His body was trembling, but it wasn't because he was cold. Cairo's vision was tunneling and the last thing he saw before fainting was the man's boots by his feet.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Dimitri had filed missing persons reports for people before, but he had never thought he would ever have to file one for someone he personally knew. Having to file one for Cairo was one of the hardest things Dimitri ever had to do. He sat down at a desk and filled out the report and as he did so, he had Seven and Fionn continue to try and get into contact with Cairo. When he was finished with the report, he walked to his locker to grab the radio that had been assigned to him. He turned it on and held down the push-to-talk button and began speaking.

"This is Officer Alexander," he stated, ignoring the greetings he received from his coworkers who were out patrolling on their nightshifts. "I need you guys to do me a favor, if you could. Please be on the look out for a man named Cairo Jones. He's a Black male, five foot ten, one hundred and fifty-five pounds. He has short dark, brown hair and brown eyes. He has no tattoos or facial hair. He was last seen wearing black skinny jeans that are ripped at the knees, a dark grey Polo shirt, and white Puma shoes. He was last seen at Club Fahrenheit approximately one hour ago".

Dimitri rattled off the address to Club Fahrenheit over the radio system and when he got confirmation that his coworkers would keep a look out for him, he replied with a 'thank you'. Dimitri had never opted to take any of his work equipment home before. He enjoyed leaving his work belt in his locker and leaving it at the department when his shift was over. He never wanted to bring work home, but tonight would be different. Instead of placing the radio back into his work belt, he clipped it onto the pocket of his pants. He didn't turn it off because he wanted to be able to listen in just in case one of his coworkers had spotted Cairo.

"He still hasn't answered?" Dimitri asked when he returned to Seven and Fionn who had stayed in the front lobby.

Fionn shook his head and from where he was sitting down on a bench, he looked to Dimitri. "No". He nervously tapped his foot and continued speaking, "what do we do now?"

"We keep looking," Dimitri answered, "the first forty-eight to seventy-two hours are the most crucial. The best place to begin looking is back at the club..."

Dimitri trailed off and turned around to look at the few police officers who were milling about in the department. There were only a few officers there due to it being night time. Most of the officers were at home and others were on their night shift. The ones at the department were there for when people came in seeking help.

Dimitri wasn't supposed to go back to work for another four weeks. He was put on paid administrative leave and was told to come back when he had been cleared by his doctor. Dimitri had planned on listening to his chief and his doctor when they told him to wait for his ribs and lungs to heal, but now Dimitri couldn't. Dimitri had more things to do now instead of waiting to get better. His main priority was no longer his health, it was looking for and finding Cairo.

"You guys don't have to come, but I'm going to go back to the club to see if maybe someone saw anything," Dimitri said, his voice soft. "I don't know... I just, I just can't go home yet".

"I'm going with you, mate," Fionn stated, "my best friend's out there somewhere. I'm not just going to go home and call it a night".

Dimitri looked to Seven who was standing close to Fionn. "I have to go with you to get my car, but I'll still stay," Seven said.

Dimitri, Seven, and Fionn left the department and while Dimitri was driving back to Club Fahrenheit, he checked the time. It was getting closer to Cairo being gone for two hours, and even though two hours wasn't technically a long time, it was long enough for Dimitri. Anything could've happened to Cairo by now, and Dimitri prayed to God that wherever he was, he was okay. Dimitri just needed him to be okay.

"I can take us in through the back," Fionn said from the backseat when they had arrived at the club. "I have my keys with me".

Dimitri drove to the back alley of the club and parked his car close to the back door.

"I almost didn't bring them," Fionn murmured once he was standing in front of the door. He used his key to unlock it and the three men stepped into the club. Seven and Dimitri let Fionn lead them from the back of the club to the front where all of the patrons were.

"I guess just show a picture of Cairo and start asking people if they might've seen anything," Dimitri said, "meet back at my car in thirty minutes".

Once they nodded their head in understanding, Dimitri walked away from Seven and Fionn. He used his phone to pull up a picture of Cairo. It was one Dimitri had taken of him for his contact photo. He remembered the day he asked Cairo to smile for him and the way Cairo had giggled in response before beaming his most brightest smile. Dimitri never thought he would have to use it as some sort of identification tool.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Dimitri really wasn't sorry, "but have you seen this person tonight?"

"No, sorry," the woman who Dimitri had asked shook her head. When she turned away from him, Dimitri moved on to the next person. If he had to ask every single person in the club in order to finally receive a 'yes' from someone, then he would. It was just unfortunate that Cairo had gone missing at a club because everyone around him was too busy focusing on having a good time instead of watching their surroundings. The majority of the people in the club were drinking alcohol, which meant that their memory wasn't the best it could be.

"Hi, have you seen this person tonight?" Dimitri asked to a couple who were dancing together.

"Did you get stood up?" The man asked, his arm draped over the woman he was dancing with.

The amused look on his face caused Dimitri to glare, "no, I think he was abducted. I'm just trying to figure out if you might know any information".

"Oh, shit," the man breathed, he shook his head and wiped the smile off of his face. "I'm sorry... No, I haven't seen him".

"Thanks, that's all I needed to know," Dimitri replied as he shouldered by him. "Enjoy the rest of your night".

"I hope you find him!" The man called out before Dimitri could no longer hear him.

Sighing softly, Dimitri muttered, "me too".

Dimitri continued to ask people if they'd seen Cairo, and with every new 'no' he received, he could feel himself becoming desperate. All he needed was one 'yes' and then hopefully whoever gave it to him would be able to give helpful information. Dimitri briefly wondered if Seven and Fionn were having better luck. He hoped they were and that when they met back at his car, they would be able to relay whatever new details they had received.

"Have you seen this young man?" Dimitri asked, pointing to his phone.

The woman who he had posed the question to squinted her eyes at the screen and slowly nodded her head. "Yeah, actually, he looks kind of familiar. I saw him maybe three hours ago, or something like that".

"You did? Where did you see him?" Dimitri asked, "I'm trying to find him, I think he was taken tonight".

"Well I saw him with you the first time, but then he was with another man when I bumped into them near the bathrooms".

Dimitri could feel a little bit of hope appear within himself. "A man?" He questioned, "did you see his face? Do you remember what he looked like?"

The woman nodded at Dimitri's first question, but then she shook her head at his next two. "He was with a man, but I didn't see his face. The guy you're looking for looked super out of it, I thought maybe he had gotten too drunk or something. The man was holding him close, he was helping the guy you're looking for to walk. I didn't see his face..." She trailed off to think for a moment before continuing to speak, "he was wearing a jacket with a hood over his head. It was already pretty dark and he was keeping his face to the ground. That's all I know, I'm sorry".

"No, thank you, you've helped me more than anyone else here has. Are you positive about the man being with the guy I'm looking for? And his jacket too?" Dimitri asked, "can I ask if you had any drinks tonight?"

Dimitri wanted to know if she'd been drinking because he would have to take that into consideration when it came to her answers. She could have had too many drinks and it may be causing her memory to be a little hazy. She may have gotten details wrong without even realizing it.

"I'm positive, I saw him," she pointed to the photo of Cairo, "with a man by the bathrooms. I haven't had anything to drink tonight. I'm the designated driver for my friends and I".

"Okay," Dimitri nodded his head, "is there anything else you can tell me about the man? Like race or height or something?"

"Um..." She wracked her brain for more details, "he was White, and tall. Taller than the guy in the picture. That's all I've got, I'm sorry".

"That helps me out some," Dimitri reassured, "thank you. I really appreciate it".

"No problem, I'm glad I could help," the woman said, "I hope you find him".

It was the same thing the previous man had shouted to Dimitri, and Dimitri replied the same way he had before. "Me too".

Dimitri moved on to the next person and proceeded to ask if they remembered seeing Cairo or not. He received more 'no's than 'yes's but with every yes, he received just about the same information he had from the woman. It seemed that all of the people who remembered seeing Cairo had either spotted him with Dimitri, or standing at the bar, or near the bathrooms. One person had said they had even seen Cairo being led out the back door by a man in a hooded jacket.

Dimitri made his way back to the back door and as he did so, he stopped by the bathrooms. He slowly walked from the bathroom to the back door. It wasn't that far of a walk, and Dimitri could very well see how the man could've walked Cairo to the back door so quickly. Dimitri had followed behind Cairo five minutes after he had left for the bathroom for a second time. He figured the man had approached Cairo while he was on his way to the bathroom, and while Dimitri had been briefly talking to the man that had elbowed him, Cairo's captor was walking Cairo to the back door. They'd slipped out the club quickly, and Dimitri wasn't sure what happened after they'd left.

When Dimitri had got to the back door, he stood in front of it and shook his head in disbelief. He was standing where Cairo had previously been. It was hard for Dimitri to grasp the fact that just two hours ago, Cairo was being led outside by a stranger. It had happened so quickly, and Dimitri couldn't believe that he hadn't got to Cairo fast enough to stop him from being taken. Dimitri wondered if he would've made it to Cairo if he hadn't have been elbowed in the side and shared brief words with the man who had done it. He figured he would have, and that made the feeling of disbelief so much worse.

Pushing open the door, Dimitri stepped outside and realized Fionn and Seven were already waiting for him. They were standing by his car and they looked to him immediately when they realized someone was exiting the club.

"Did you find out anything?" Dimitri asked hopefully.

Fionn nodded his head, "I had one person tell me they saw him near the bathrooms".

"The same thing for me," Seven stated, "most of the people I spoke to were too drunk to remember the last half hour".

"That's okay, I got a few people telling me the same thing. They saw Cairo near the bathrooms with a man. From what I've gathered, I've kind of come up with what I think happened. Cairo was drugged, he had to have been, and the man met him at the bathrooms. He guided Cairo to the back door and walked him out, and I don't know what happened after that".

"That's fucked up," Seven frowned, "who would do that?"

"I don't know," Dimitri answered.

"Did anyone see his face?" Fionn asked.

"No, I just know he's White and taller than Cairo. Cairo's five foot ten, so the man's got to be over that height".

It was quiet for a moment as Seven, Fionn, and Dimitri tried to process what they'd figured out. The silence was broken when Fionn sniffled and began to softly cry.

"Fionn," Seven murmured.

"Sorry, I'm just..." Fionn shook his head and didn't bother to wipe his face free of his tears. "I'm just thinking. I'm really scared for him. Cairo was right here," he motioned to the alley, "like two hours ago. I was dancing fifty feet away while he was being kidnapped. I was having a good time and he was being taken away by some random, fucked up man".

"Don't put blame on yourself," Dimitri said. "I know it feels hard not to, but you couldn't have known, Fionn. We're going to find him. I'm not going to stop looking for him until I find him".

Dimitri meant every word he said, especially the last few. He wasn't going to stop looking for Cairo until he had found him. He didn't care how long it was going to take, or how much work he would have to do in order to get Cairo back.

"Alive, right?" Fionn asked, looking to Dimitri with glossy, green eyes. "You've got to find him alive".

Dimitri hadn't wanted to think about not finding Cairo alive. It simply wasn't an option for him. There was no other option except for finding Cairo alive. If he didn't, then Dimitri had no idea what he would do.

"There's a murderer on the loose, Dimitri," Fionn stated, his voice trembling. "What if... What if he was the one who to-" "Fionn, please," Dimitri interrupted, "I can't..."

He turned around and tilted his head back to try and keep his own tears from falling. "I can't have that thought in my head".

Seven cleared his throat and placed a comforting hand on Fionn's shoulder. "Dimitri, what's the next step?"

"Getting the information on Cairo's captor out to the city," he murmured. "I won't be able to do that until morning. By then hours would've gone by, but there's just nothing else I can do right now. I don't know which way they've gone or what type of vehicle they're in, if they're even in one. The next step has to wait until morning".

"So we just go home?" Fionn asked in disbelief.

Fionn's question made Dimitri feel like the younger man was upset with him. He wasn't sure if Fionn thought his answers weren't legitimate. It aggravated Dimitri because he wanted nothing more than to scour the streets for the entire night, but he simply couldn't.

"I don't want to go home either, Fionn," Dimitri frowned as he turned around to look at him. "You've got to understand that there isn't shit else I can do right now".

Fionn sniffled, "no, yeah... I do know that, I just... It's hard to grasp that there isn't anything else we can do at the moment. I wasn't trying to accuse you of not caring, mate. I know you care". 

Sighing heavily, Dimitri shook his head, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap and sound so rude. I'm just feeling a lot of different emotions at the moment".

"It's alright, I understand".

"Let's go to the car," Seven said to Fionn, he looked at Dimitri, "do you want to come back to the apartment with us? I don't know how I feel about you being alone".

Seven was scared for Cairo, but he was scared for Dimitri and Fionn as well. He knew that both of the men had a stronger connection to Cairo than he did. Cairo was Fionn's best friend, and he was Dimitri's partner. He could imagine the turmoil they were both feeling, and he didn't want either of them to deal with it on their own. Seven was going to be there for the both of them because that was his responsibility as Fionn's boyfriend and Dimitri's brother.

"Mabel's at home," Dimitri said as he shook his head. "Cairo wouldn't want her to be alone for the rest of the night".

"So swing by and pick her up. Dimitri, I don't wa-" "Seven, I'll be fine," Dimitri interrupted, he smiled weakly, "and if I'm not then I'll call".

Seven hesitated before nodding his head just a bit, "alright... We'll talk to you tomorrow then".

"Bye, Dimitri," Fionn said as he let Seven begin to guide him around to the front of the building.

"Bye," Dimitri watched them walk away until he could no longer see them anymore.

It Dimitri far too long to get into his car, and once he was finally driving himself home, he purposefully drove ten miles under the speed limit. He didn't want to go home, but there was nothing else he could do for Cairo until the morning. When he walked through his front door, Dimitri found Mabel in her hammock. She meowed at him and jumped down from where she was resting.

"He's not here, Mabel," Dimitri murmured when he noticed Mabel walking around the living room as if she were searching for something, or someone. She ventured into the foyer and came back after realizing it was empty. Dimitri picked her up and carried her upstairs with him. When they got to his bedroom, he set her down on the bed and she settled down quickly.

After changing into pajamas, Dimitri climbed into bed. He laid on his back so he could stare up at the ceiling. As he laid in the dark, he began to feel guilty. Cairo had told him he wasn't sure about going out that night, and look what happened to him. He had been abducted right underneath Dimitri's nose. Dimitri had told Cairo he had nothing to worry about, that Dimitri would make sure to keep him safe and wouldn't let anything happen to him. Cairo trusted Dimitri, and for him to be taken so easily made Dimitri feel immensely guilty.

It was hard for Dimitri to understand that hours ago Cairo was laying on their bed, watching Dimitri get ready for a night out. He had been right where Dimitri was now currently laying. He had been laughing and making jokes, and smiling. Dimitri carefully turned onto his side despite the aching in his chest. Mabel moved closer to Dimitri, and as the man laid down in the otherwise empty bed, he began to openly sob. He pressed his face into his pillow and for the first time for as long as he could remember, Dimitri cried himself to sleep.


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

Cairo met Elijah Hall online when he was in the ninth grade. They met online through a blogging site that Cairo used as an emotional outlet. His blog had been a safe place for him to vent about being bullied in school. It wasn't a private blog, so anyone had access to stumble upon it. Cairo liked that people could comment on his blog posts because they usually always commented nice things. He would get comments by people his own age sharing their experiences of being bullied, and they would let Cairo know he wasn't the only one going through such a thing. He made online friends and he would talk to them via their blogs anytime he was able to.

One day Cairo began to get comments from a person with the username Eli-H. The person claimed to be fifteen just like Cairo, and they were having a hard time in school too. The two boys connected on a different level than how Cairo connected with any of his other online friends. Eli-H always messaged Cairo privately, and they talked about how their days went, and the things they would do when they weren't forced to go to school anymore. They shared videos and pictures that they thought were funny, and they talked all day and all night.

Cairo had never given his real name to any of his online friends before, but he did give it to Eli-H, and Eli-H had done the same. Elijah quickly became Cairo's best friend because Cairo had never had one of those before, and he desperately wanted that to change. He was open with Elijah on a lot of things because that's what Elijah said best friends did. They described what they looked like to one another. Cairo had learned Elijah was White and had blue eyes and blonde hair. They shared everything with each other, including their phone number and address.

When Elijah realized just how close they actually were to one another, he had been the one to suggest meeting face-to-face at a mall. Cairo hadn't been sure at first, but he ultimately agreed when he figured there wasn't much that could go wrong. It was after finally meeting Elijah in person that Cairo found out Elijah wasn't exactly who he said he was. Elijah was White and he did indeed have blue eyes and blonde hair, but he wasn't fifteen. He was twenty-five.

That was a lot older than what Elijah had initially told Cairo, and Cairo had been understandably freaked out. He was only fifteen and the difference in age was prominent. They had ten years between them. When Elijah was in elementary school, Cairo hadn't even been born yet. Cairo hadn't wanted to stay at the mall after finding out just how old Elijah really was. He wanted to go home, but Elijah insisted that he stay. He told Cairo he was the same person he had messaged back and forth, except for he was just a little older.

At the time, Cairo had been at one of his lowest points in his life. Freshman year was hard and he had no one to truly talk to about it except for Elijah. Cairo didn't want to lose his only support system and Elijah had managed to convince him that his age shouldn't change their friendship. Cairo had left the mall that day with new clothes that had been paid for by Elijah, and a new text message in his phone.

Cairo's parents, Camille and Derick Jones, had been too busy raising Cairo's siblings to pay attention to Cairo. Amaya was nine and Miles was five. At fifteen, Cairo was the oldest and no longer needed to hold mommy and daddy's hands anymore. They expected him to get straight A's in school, to do his chores, and to take care of his siblings whenever they weren't home. They expected so much out of him, yet they never checked in to see how he was doing. Cairo received negative attention at school and he received no attention at all when he was at home. The only person who gave him positive attention was Elijah.

The two continued to talk after their first meeting at the mall. Their conversations hadn't changed too much. They still talked about their day and how they were feeling, but things did eventually begin to change. Elijah wanted to meet up with Cairo in person more and because Cairo didn't want to lose him as a friend, he agreed. Elijah would pick Cairo up from school and Cairo would give lies to his parents about staying after for a club he was in.

Elijah had very easily and very quickly became the person Cairo trusted the most. He listened to him when Cairo needed to vent, and he offered Cairo advice when he needed it as well. He bought Cairo gifts and gave him the attention he was craving. He treated Cairo like an adult and never spoke to him like he was a clueless child. Elijah made Cairo feel seen, and it was something Cairo had never experienced before.

Things changed the day Cairo turned sixteen. Elijah began to ask Cairo much more personal questions. He wanted to know what Cairo's body looked like underneath his clothes and if he touched himself, and if he did, then how. Cairo had thought it was strange at first, but that changed when he would hear some of his peers at school talking about how cool it made you if you were dating someone older. Cairo wanted to be seen as cool, so he told the people around him that he'd been speaking to Elijah for over a year, but no one had believed him because he was Cairo. After school, Cairo had vented to Elijah about it and for the first time ever, Elijah had hit him and yelled at him. He asked how Cairo could be so stupid to think anyone else would understand the connection they shared, and he told Cairo not to tell anyone else about him.

That night, Cairo texted Elijah and apologized to him. Cairo had asked how he could make things better again, and Elijah had texted back saying if Cairo sent revealing photos of himself, then all would be forgiven. Due to Cairo not wanting to end up alone again, he sent them, and he kept sending more whenever Elijah asked because whenever he said 'no', Elijah would always threaten to leave. Their relationship changed from something that made Cairo feel safe to something that made him feel trapped.

By the time Cairo was seventeen, he had been in an abusive relationship for two years. Elijah went from treating Cairo with the upmost respect to treating him rather poorly. He would yell and shout more, and hit him whenever he did wrong. Elijah would threaten to show up to Cairo's house whenever he got the idea that Cairo was thinking about ending things. Cairo felt like he was forced to do the things Elijah wanted him to, which was things like stealing and doing drugs every now and again.

It all came to a head when Cairo was eighteen and his parents had kicked him out because they finally realized why he had been acting the way he had. They found out about Elijah when they looked through his things. Camille and Derick Jones had been livid, and since Cairo was acting like he was grown, they said he could be grown anywhere else except for underneath their roof. They had kids to take care of, and Cairo was no longer one of them.

With no one else to turn to, Cairo moved in with Elijah and their relationship only got worse. Elijah abused Cairo in all of the ways that he possibly could. He was emotionally, verbally, and mentally abusive. Cairo didn't know how to handle it, and it got to the point where he thought he was certainly going to die. All it took for things to change was for Cairo to reach out to a school counselor. His counselor helped him by getting into contact with the police, and from there Cairo had been put into therapy. Things had gotten so bad for Cairo that once he was out of the relationship with Elijah, he had unconsciously blocked the memory of Elijah away.

Cairo's brain had done damage control. It had repressed any traumatic memories or experiences because every time Cairo thought about it, he would become stressed and experience panic attacks. Cairo hadn't remembered anything about Elijah until now. Seeing the older man had triggered Cairo's memory of him to come back, and with that memory came the trauma as well.

'I don't know what I'm going to do' Cairo thought to himself as he laid down on the small, twin sized bed that he was still chained to. He had his knees tucked into his chest and he was facing the corner so he could stare blankly at the grey concrete in front of him. He had no idea how long it had been since he was taken. He wanted to keep track, but it was hard for him to do so because he didn't know how long he had been unconscious for when he initially woke up in the bunker. He wondered if it was nearing forty-eight hours already and how much that would affect him being found.

He knew Dimitri was looking for him. Cairo had absolutely no doubt in his mind that he was. Dimitri knew Cairo. He knew his mannerisms and leaving a club without letting anyone know wasn't something that he just did. He answered his phone and he responded to text messages. There was no way Dimitri didn't know that he was missing. Knowing that Dimitri was looking for him was the only thing that was keeping him relatively calm. His mind was still reeling from all of the memories that had come back to him, and when he gained consciousness after fainting from his panic attack, he proceeded to cry again.

There were so many things he had managed to forget, and for it to come back to him was overwhelming. Cairo was still remembering things too. As he continued to lay in the bed, Cairo would have a moment where he would suddenly remember a past conversation or an experience he and Elijah had shared. Cairo was struggling to understand why he had forgotten all about Elijah, but then he remembered the conversation he had with the therapist, Dr. Garcia. They had a conversation about the different parts of the brain, and Cairo figured his brain had something to do with why he hadn't been able to remember Elijah until now.

Cairo flinched at the sudden loud clicking of the hatch door latch. He quickly rolled himself over so he was no longer facing the wall. He needed to be able to see what was happening around him whenever Elijah decided to pay him a visit. Just like before, Cairo watched Elijah lower down the ladder and begin to descend into the bunker. Cairo wondered if he would be able to somehow get the ladder and use it to his advantage. He didn't know if that meant using it as a weapon, but if it did, then he would absolutely use it as one.

When Elijah was standing in the room, Cairo eyed him warily. It was hard for him to comprehend that the man that had abused him for years was really standing in front of him again. He looked relatively the same despite being a few years older. His eyes were still the same icy blue they always had been and his hair was still blonde. It was cut short, when Cairo was in his teens, Elijah's hair had always been on the longer side. The man's face revealed his age, he was no longer in his twenties anymore. Cairo could see the crow's feet and laugh lines etched into his skin. Quickly doing the math in his head, Cairo knew Elijah was now thirty-two.

Cairo slowly sat up and moved himself so he was nestled in the corner. He watched Elijah as he removed the backpack he was wearing. Cairo wasn't sure what he was expecting Elijah to take out of the bag, but it hadn't been food. Elijah tossed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, potato chips, and grapes at Cairo. They were all individually placed in zip locked bags and Cairo eyed them cautiously.

"I figured you might be hungry," Elijah spoke, staring at Cairo expectantly.

The younger man shook his head, but he didn't say anything. Cairo was indeed very hungry. His stomach had been rumbling ever since he woke up from his panic attack. The last time he had eaten a meal was before he had left for the club with Dimitri, and Cairo currently had no idea how long ago that was.

"I have people looking for me," Cairo stated, his voice revealing how scared he was.

"I'm not concerned," Elijah replied before taking the time to smile. He moved so he was standing at the foot of the bed. He was only about six feet away from Cairo, and if he wanted to be, he could be so much closer.

Cairo frowned, "you should be. My boyfriend is a police officer, he's not going to stop looking for me until he finds me. He's going to figure out that you took me".

Elijah laughed loudly and it made Cairo feel like he could be sick. "I find that pretty hard to believe," Elijah chuckled, he shrugged his shoulders. "Your cop boyfriend and his buddies haven't found me yet, and it's been three months".

With furrowed eyebrows, Cairo looked at Elijah, "what're you talking about?"

"Come on, cub, you're smarter than that".

"Don't call me that," Cairo said as he glared, "I don't want you to call me that".

"Well tough shit," Elijah spat, "I'll call you whatever the fuck I want to call you because I'm the one calling the shots here".

Cairo turned his head away from Elijah and worked on keeping his sudden tears at bay. He hated that Elijah was right. Elijah was in charge and Cairo had to listen to him. If Elijah wanted to call Cairo by the same nickname that he used to call him when he was fifteen, then Cairo had to let him. Elijah had started calling Cairo 'cub' shortly after it had been revealed that he was older than the age he had claimed to be. At the time, fifteen year old, Cairo had thought it was weird to be called 'cub', but it eventually began to grow on him. Elijah called Cairo 'cub' because Cairo was young and he was older. Elijah offered protection and guidance and to refer to Cairo as something usually reserved for young, baby animals discretely asserted his dominance over the young boy.

"Now eat your food," Elijah demanded.

"I'm not hungry".

"You are, and you will fu-" "How did you find me?" Cairo asked, it had been a question he had been meaning to get the answer to ever since he remembered the things he'd gone through with Elijah. Cairo remembered another question he wanted to ask, so he tacked it on, "and how did you get out of prison?"

"You thought you could just skip town and I not find out about it?" Elijah asked.

Cairo grimaced at his question. He had skipped town, but it hadn't been his idea. When he was twenty, and his therapist had seen major improvement in Cairo, she had suggested that Cairo move to a new place. Moving to a new city, or even an entirely new state, had the potential to do great things for Cairo. It would offer him a fresh start, and Cairo hadn't wanted to move at first, but when he realized just how much his home state and city were weighing him down, he decided to take his therapist's suggestion and move. He had moved to an entirely new city in an entirely different state and he started over. He went to college and he met Fionn, and from there his life had improved.

"How did you get out of prison?" Cairo asked his question again because Elijah had purposefully ignored it.

"That's none of your concern, cub".

"It is when you've literally abducted me," Cairo replied. "I think I have the right to know how my abusive ex-boyfriend got out of prison".

"Well that's where you're wrong, Cairo," Elijah stated with a shrug of your shoulders. "I don't owe you shit, alright? You answer to me, I don't answer to you. That's how it works here in case you haven't seemed to figure it out yet. I'm in charge".

With another shake of his head, Cairo frowned and muttered the words, "fuck you".

Elijah didn't hesitate to approach Cairo after hearing the younger man's words. He grabbed a fistful of Cairo's shirt and yanked him out of the corner he was so desperately trying to keep himself in. Using the back of his hand, Elijah slapped Cairo across the face and listened to him scream in pain. The older man forcefully pushed Cairo up against the wall, and like he had done before, he gripped the younger man's jaw and made Cairo look at him.

"I'd watch your mouth if I were you," he murmured as he peered into the wet, brown eyes that were staring back at him. "Got it?"

When Cairo nodded his head as best he could, Elijah released his jaw and took a step back. He didn't say anything as he observed Cairo struggling to hold back tears as he moved back to the corner he had previously been situated in. Cairo didn't say anything, and Elijah figured he wouldn't speak again any time soon.

Picking up the backpack, he put it on and walked to the ladder. He eyed the food he had given to Cairo and then glared at the younger man.

"If the food's not gone by the time I check in again then I will beat you until you can't stand. I've done it before and I swear to God that I will do it again," Elijah threatened.

Elijah didn't move until he saw Cairo slowly reach for the zip locked bags. It wasn't until he watched Cairo take his first bite of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that Elijah began to climb up the ladder. He pushed open the hatch door, and when he was back above ground, he pulled the ladder up so Cairo would have no way of getting above ground as well. He closed the hatch door and ran the large industrial chain through the lock loop, and once he was satisfied, he threaded the padlock between the chain and closed it shut. After covering the top of the door so it was hidden away and couldn't be seen, Elijah walked away and left Cairo on his own.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Dimitri kind of thought it had all been a bad dream. He thought he was going to be able to open his eyes and wake up to Cairo still sleeping beside him. He was prepared to pull the younger man close to him and tell himself that it had all been a nightmare. Dimitri was expecting to tell Cairo about the crazy dream he had about him getting kidnapped and have Cairo reassure him that he was right there, that it hadn't been real. Dimitri hadn't been able to do any of those things because it wasn't a bad dream after all. Cairo had been abducted, and he was really gone.

Dimitri was used to waking up to an empty bed sometimes. On the days he had a night shift, Cairo would wake up before him and make breakfast. It was always easy to wake up without Cairo beside him because Dimitri knew he was downstairs. Waking up without Cairo by his side this time hurt because Dimitri knew that when we walked downstairs Cairo wouldn't be there.

It had taken him a while to get moving. He stared at the empty space beside him on the bed for minutes before finally getting up. Once he was on his feet, the first thing he did was take a shower, then he brushed his teeth and washed his face. He tended to Mabel next by giving her breakfast and making sure her litter box was clean. Dimitri made himself a bowl of cereal and only ate three spoonfuls before tossing it away into the trashcan.

When he was in his car and on the way to the department, he connected his phone via Bluetooth to his car so he could speak to Seven handsfree. His friend had called him three times since he had woken up that morning. Dimitri hadn't answered none of the calls because at the time, he just wasn't ready to talk. He still wasn't really ready to talk, but he knew if he didn't call Seven back, then he would begin to worry.

"Hey, are you alright?" Seven asked when he picked up the phone.

Dimitri stopped at a red light and despite Seven not being able to see him, he shook his head. "Not really".

"I figured you would say that, I probably shouldn't have asked".

"Probably not," Dimitri agreed, "my boyfriend is missing and there's a serial killer on the loose. I'm not feeling the greatest at the moment".

Seven sighed, "are you on your way to the police department?"

"Yes, I'm about fifteen minutes away. I'm going to talk to my captain about what's happened and see if I can get involved with the investigation".

"What if you can't?"

With a shrug of his shoulders, Dimitri replied, "I'll get involved anyway".

"Dimitri..."

"I'm not just going to wait around for the detectives, Seven," Dimitri stated. "That's not going to happen. If I can't get involved with the investigation then I'm just going to have to start my own".

"What if you get fired for going against your captain?"

Dimitri scoffed, "so what? As long as I get Cairo back, I don't care if I get fired".

"But you love your job".

"I love Cairo more," Dimitri said without hesitating, "I can get another job, Seven. I'm never going to be able to get another Cairo".

"Okay, and I don't want it to seem like I care more about your job than I do Cairo. You know I care about Cairo, and even though I don't have as strong as a connection with him like you and Fionn do, I still want him to be okay. I'm just trying to make sure that you don't do anything that could cost you your job or even put you in jail".

"I get it," Dimitri replied when Seven finished rambling, "and I'm grateful for your concern about me, but for right now, my main priority is finding Cairo alive and well".

Seven quietly responded, "I understand".

Dimitri proceeded to pull into the parking lot of the police department. When he found a spot to park in, Dimitri cleared his throat, "I've got to go, I'm at the department. I'll talk to you later and keep you updated on things so you'll be able to relay it back to Fionn".

"Okay, bye, Dimitri".

"Bye, Seven".

Similar to the night he walked into the department when Cairo had gone missing, Dimitri's coworkers were surprised to see him. They weren't expecting him back for another couple of weeks. They had been informed about his absence and what caused him to have to be placed on leave. Dimitri greeted his coworkers as he walked through the building, but he didn't stop to speak to any of them. He had to talk with his captain and see if there was any way he could get involved with the serial killer case.

Dimitri had purposefully arrived to the department early because he knew he would be able to find Captain Hutchinson in his office. The man knocked on the doorframe since the door was open. Captain Hutchinson was sitting at his desk and looking at his computer. He glanced to the door then back to his computer, then back at the door again when he realized it was Dimitri who was standing at the door.

"Officer Alexander," he greeted, "come in, I wasn't expecting to see you until your leave was over. What're you doing here?"

Dimitri entered the room and took a seat in one of the two chairs that were situated in front of the captain's desk. "I need to come back to work".

With a raised eyebrow, Captain Hutchinson turned his body in the chair he was sitting in so he could face Dimitri. "Why is that?"

"My partner was abducted last night," Dimitri stated, "and I'd like to be on the murder case because of it".

"What makes you think he was taken?"

"We went out to Club Fahrenheit to celebrate him moving into my house. We sat down at a table for the entire time because my ribs are still giving me a hard time. He had one drink and then he went to the bathroom before going to the bar to get another. When he came back with his second drink, he drank it and shortly after he said he felt nauseous. He went back to the bathroom and I followed after him, but by the time I got to the bathroom, he wasn't there. I had two of my friends with me and we looked for him in the club and tried to get in contact with him. A few people said they saw him being led out of the club by a White male. I haven't been able to get into contact with him for the past seven hours".

Captain Hutchinson nodded his head as he listened to Dimitri explain himself. "Is it common for him to go off of the grid?"

Dimitri shook his head and fought to keep from frowning. Dimitri knew why his captain was asking him questions. He wanted to know if it was really as serious as Dimitri was making it out to be. He needed to know Cairo's mannerisms because if it was common for the young man to not answer his phone or respond to text messages, then it wasn't really a cause of concern that no one could get into contact with him.

"He doesn't, he usually always answers the phone and responds to texts. If he happens to miss a call then he'll always return it within an hour. He's never gone a full seven hours without getting into contact with me. This isn't like the last man who went missing and it was a common occurrence for him. Cairo doesn't just go missing, and he would never leave the club with a man he doesn't know".

"How are you so sure that your partner, Cairo, didn't know the man?"

"Because I know him," Dimitri stated, "and he's not a cheater, which is what I feel like you're trying to imply. One witness said that the man was helping Cairo to walk. Cairo doesn't get drunk to the point where he can't walk after having one drink. He was drugged, I'm sure of it".

With a sigh, Chief Hutchinson spoke, "look, Dimitri, I'm sorry about your boyfriend, I am. I can't put you on the case because you're not a police detective, you're a patrol officer. Plus, I put you on leave, you're not even supposed to be here right now".

"I can't go home," Dimitri stated in a deadpan tone. "I can't sit around and wait for him to come back because I know for certain that he's not. Captain, he fits the demographic perfectly. He's Black, male, and he's twenty-two. We've had three murders in the past three months. It's about to be a new month soon and we're going to have another person dead. I refuse to sit back when there's a possibility that my boyfriend could be the next victim. It's just not going to happen".

"Do you know how many rules I would be breaking if I put you on the case? It's not in your job description to investigate a case. You haven't been trained for it. You have a close relationship to the person who is missing, and that could complicate things because you're an officer. I understand that you're scared, and you're desperate for answers, but I need you to trust the detectives, okay? I'll relay the information that you told me to them so they can look into it since you believe Cairo's disappearance is linked to the murders. For now though, I need you to go ho-" "Captain, please don't send me home," Dimitri begged, "I can't go home".

Captain Hutchinson shook his head, "I filed your leave for six weeks, you've only been gone for just about two. If you get hurt while you're out patrolling then I will be held responsible for letting you come back to work before your leave was over".

Dimitri placed his head in his hands and sighed in frustration. He bit his lip and thought for a moment before looking at his captain. "Can you put me on desk duty? I don't have to go back out and patrol. I can sit at a desk and file paperwork all day, I don't care. I just want to be here so I can learn new information about the murder case and finding Cairo".

Dimitri wasn't sure what his next step would be if his captain had denied him even desk duty, so he was glad that he didn't. Captain Hutchinson sighed and threw his hands up in surrender.

"Fine," the man stated, "desk duty only. If my superiors pop in one day to see how things are going in the department, I'm kicking you out".

"Okay," Dimitri nodded in understanding, "thank you".

Captain Hutchinson motioned to his door, "now out, you know where your desk is".

Dimitri left the office feeling relieved. He walked through the department to get to his desk. On the way, he passed one of the rooms that was designated for the detectives. He stepped into the room and eyed the whiteboard that had a lot of different information scribbled on it. There were pictures of the victims taped on it as well. Dimitri stared at the three images and shook his head.

"I refuse to have you be another victim," Dimitri murmured quietly as he thought about Cairo. "There's just no way".

Dimitri took a step back from the whiteboard when Ren, who was one of the detectives, walked into the room. She and Dimitri got along very well. When Dimitri became a police officer, Ren had been the first person to introduce herself to him. She asked if he would like to grab lunch with her, and Dimitri remembered getting to know her and her Japanese culture.

"Hi, Officer Alexander," Ren smiled, giggling to herself in amusement.

It had been an ongoing inside joke between Ren and Dimitri whenever they greeted each other. They thought being referred to by their last names made things feel so serious and formal. Neither of them were very serious and formal people when they weren't at work, and so they always shared a little laugh together about it.

"Hi, Detective Adachi," Dimitri smiled softly and watched as Ren frowned.

"What's wrong?" She asked, "and what're you doing here?"

Dimitri sighed, "my, um... My boyfriend got abducted last night. I came in to talk to Captain Hutchinson about coming back to work so I could be here to learn new details about the murder case and my boyfriend's disappearance. I'll be on desk duty until my ribs stop giving me trouble".

Ren shook her head in disbelief, "oh my God, Dimitri, I'm so sorry. You've filed a missing persons report, yeah?" When Dimitri nodded, she continued to speak, "what happened?"

Dimitri took the time to repeat the things he had just previously said to his captain. Once he was finished, he cleared his throat because he could feel himself beginning to get choked up. Talking about Cairo getting taken was hard, especially because he knew that if he had just moved a little bit faster then he would've been able to stop the abduction from happening at all.

"And you're thinking your boyfriend was taken by our murderer?" Ren asked as she looked to the whiteboard.

"I'm thinking it's a possibility. It just makes sense to me," Dimitri answered, "Cairo fits the demographics, Ren. Another month is about to pass which means another murder is going to happen. I didn't want to think about it at first, but I have to because this is serious. Cairo might be next".

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Ren said in an attempt to calm Dimitri down. "What if it's two separate cases?"

"What if it's not?" Dimitri asked, "and if it is then that means I'm wrong, but I don't care if I end up being wrong. I just want to find Cairo, that's my main priority. Hutchinson won't put me on the case because I'm not a detective".

"We're doing the best we can, Dimitri," Ren reassured, "I promise. It's just whoever is behind the murders is really good. They've managed to leave little to no evidence behind, it's not enough to get a good enough sample. We don't have video footage or any witnesses coming forward. It's like this person did their research before deciding to murder the victims".

"It's a man," Dimitri murmured, he was responding to Ren's statement of not having any video footage of him. "He's White, taller than five foot ten. That's the only description I have of the man who took Cairo. If I'm right then that's the description of the murderer too".

Ren nodded her head, "okay, I'll write that down". She hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "can you get me a picture of Cairo?"

Dimitri shook his head, "I don't want his face on the board, Ren. It'll make it real".

"It's already real, Dimitri," Ren replied sadly. "I'm sorry. I need a picture so that whatever information I can get can go beneath it".

"Okay," Dimitri sighed, "I'll print one out when I get to my desk".

"I can't promise anything, but I'll talk to Hutchinson about putting you on the case. I know you're not a detective, but I think it may be beneficial to myself if you're on the case. Cairo might lead us to our murderer and you know the most about him since you're his partner".

"Hopefully he'll see the benefit of it," Dimitri murmured as he walked to the door. "I'll be back with that picture you want".

Dimitri went to his desk and emailed a picture of Cairo from his phone to the email he used for work. He printed it off and picked it up from the printer before returning to Ren.

"He's cute," Ren said when Dimitri passed the picture off to her. "Pretty smile".

With a soft grin, Dimitri agreed, "yeah, he is".

Dimitri watched Ren tape the picture to the whiteboard. She picked up a marker and wrote Cairo's first name above the picture.

"What's his last name?"

"Jones," Dimitri answered.

Ren wrote down his last name and beside it she put a dash and then wrote 'missing'. Dimitri stared at the word for a short moment before looking to the other photos that were on the board. Seeing the victims' names and the word 'deceased' beside all of them caused Dimitri's heart to beat just a little faster out of anxiousness. He could feel his eyes becoming wet with tears and he mentally told himself that he wasn't going to cry. Ren noticed Dimitri's watery eyes and she approached him.

While placing a hand on his back, she asked, "you know you can talk to me, right?"

Dimitri nodded and even though he had told himself just moments ago that he wasn't going to cry, he began to anyway. Ren acknowledging that Dimitri was trying not to cry just seemed to cause the man to do so. He wasn't loudly sobbing because he didn't want to attract too much attention to himself, but there was a steady amount of tears leaving his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Dimitri apologized, "I'm just really, really scared. I'm trying to stay positive, but it's hard when it's obvious that Cairo is seriously in danger. He's it for me and he's the person that I see myself spending the rest of my life with. If he dies then I don't know what I'm going to do, Ren". 

"We're going to find him," Ren assured. She wanted to go on and say that they were going to find Cairo alive, but she didn't want to potentially lie. Ren had no idea if they were going to find him alive, she absolutely hoped that they did, but there just simply was no guarantee that it was going to happen. "We just have to start searching for him".

"I'm so afraid of running out of time," Dimitri confessed.

It was a race against time when it came to finding Cairo. If he was truly linked to the serial killer, then the man only had until the end of the month to be found. Dimitri hoped the search for him would be quick and easy because if it weren't then he knew for sure he would struggle. The biggest thing against him was time, and Dimitri was terrified of being too late.


	30. Chapter Thirty

Elijah was drugging him, Cairo was sure of it. There was something in the food. It was the only thing that made sense. After Cairo would eat whatever Elijah had given him, he would feel very sedated after about five to fifteen minutes. Cairo remembered the fear he'd felt when he'd finished the peanut butter and jelly sandwich Elijah had given him and his body didn't feel like his body anymore. Cairo had tried not eating anymore food, but the last time he had tried that, Elijah had responded very negatively.

The man had followed through with his previous threat and had beaten Cairo until he couldn't stand. Elijah had backed Cairo into one of the corners of the room and had dished out punches until Cairo had crumpled to the floor. The younger man had tried to fight back, but there was simply no way Cairo would've been able to win against Elijah. The man had a similar build to Dimitri. It was clear that Elijah hadn't let his body go as he continued to age.

Cairo had forgotten all about the way Elijah used to put his hands on him. The older man would shout at Cairo and hit him whenever Cairo did something wrong when the younger man used to live with him. Cairo had no idea how he managed to survive living with Elijah for so long. Cairo had nowhere else to go at the time, so he stayed with Elijah for as long as he could bear it. Once he had enough of the abuse, Cairo sought help and worked to get his life back on track.

Cairo had to keep eating because he didn't want Elijah to beat him again. He had eventually passed out from the pain when Elijah had beaten him due to not eating. Cairo had woken up on the bed feeling completely out of it. His body had been aching, and it still currently was. There were bruises on various parts of his skin, but as far as Cairo could tell, none of his bones were fractured or broken. Having dealt with a broken wrist due to Elijah before, Cairo didn't want to go through that sort of pain again.

Cairo had been clean from hard drugs ever since he started therapy when he was eighteen. He'd been introduced to ecstasy through Elijah. At the time Cairo was sixteen, Elijah had asked Cairo if he wanted to try something that would make him feel good. Cairo had agreed because oftentimes he was never feeling the greatest. He was dealing with being bullied at school and not getting enough attention from his parents at home. If Elijah had something that would make Cairo feel significantly better then Cairo was open to trying it. The younger man hadn't been expecting pills though, so when Elijah had flashed a small plastic bag with five small white pills in it, he had been hesitant.

School had taught Cairo about drugs, and the path that they could potentially lead you on. He had been warned of how dangerous they could be and how they could ruin your life rather quickly. Elijah had taken notice of Cairo's hesitance and offered to pop a pill with Cairo as well so he wouldn't be the only high one in the room. This was before Elijah had shown any abusive tendencies toward Cairo, so the younger man easily agreed. Cairo still had too much trust in Elijah and he had been none the wiser to the man's manipulation. Elijah hadn't taken a pill with Cairo. He had placed it beneath his tongue and when Cairo's back had been turned, Elijah promptly spit the pill out.

Watching Cairo get high for the first time was something Elijah had never forgotten. He had watched Cairo go from wearing a gloomy frown to a bright smile in only a few minutes. Elijah didn't think he'd ever seen Cairo as happy as he was when he was high. It was amusing to the man to see Cairo so carefree. Cairo had loved the feeling of being on cloud nine, and after he was no longer there anymore, he asked Elijah if he could have another pill in the future. Elijah agreed, but he only got Cairo high once in a blue moon. Elijah knew that Cairo would be no good to him if he got hooked on ecstasy.

Cairo enjoyed being high, he had never had a bad trip the few times he had taken pills. Cairo thought being high felt so much better than being coherent. Ecstasy gave Cairo what he couldn't get on his own. It gave him happiness, and that was one of the many things he wanted the most while he was growing up.

Cairo knew what being high off of ecstasy felt like, so he currently knew that it wasn't the drug Elijah was slipping him. He didn't feel like how he felt when he was on ecstasy. On ecstasy, Cairo felt joy and relief, and like he could conquer the world. Whatever Elijah had given him was impairing Cairo in a very negative way. The man felt like his limbs weighed a ton, but at the same time he felt like he was sort of floating just a few inches above the mattress he was laying on. He felt a strong sense of confusion as he stared up at the ceiling and wondered how long it was going to take for the effects to diminish.

As Cairo continued to lay on the bed, Elijah decided it was the perfect time to pay Cairo another visit. He checked on the younger man regularly and the two have had their fair share of conversation since Elijah had abducted Cairo. Elijah had taken Cairo because he wanted the younger man to suffer through the consequences of leaving him.

Despite what Cairo may think, he meant everything to Elijah. He was the most important thing to Elijah, and to have Cairo give up on the two of them hurt Elijah immensely. He might've yelled and hit Cairo during their later years together, but that didn't mean he didn't love him. Elijah treated Cairo the way he did because he loved him. He didn't want Cairo to find someone else and in order to keep that from happening, he had to keep Cairo under his control.

"Cairo, cub," Elijah spoke once he was standing in the bunker. He looked towards the bed and observed Cairo laying motionless. He watched the way the younger man's chest slowly rose and fell due to his deep, steady breathing. "How are you feeling?"

When Elijah didn't get a response, he walked over to the side of the bed and squatted down so he was closer to Cairo's level. He carefully reached out and placed his pointer and middle finger beneath Cairo's chin. He moved the younger man's head to the side and smiled softly when he noticed the way his eyes were struggling to stay focused.

Elijah had never been high on ketamine before, but he had done his research before distributing dosages to Cairo through his food. He started Cairo off on a small amount and carefully worked him up to something much larger. Elijah knew that if given a higher dosage, ketamine could cause a feeling of confusion or dissociation, as well as difficulty speaking and a floating sensation. Another common effect that came with a higher dosage was immobility. Elijah was aware Cairo was currently suffering with that effect because he knew the younger man would never allow Elijah to touch him if he could help it.

"I know you can hear me," Elijah murmured as he moved his hand so he could run his fingers through Cairo's hair. "I know you're feeling pretty out of it at the moment, but I want you to relax, alright?"

Elijah climbed onto the bed and made himself fit in between the wall and Cairo's body. The twin bed was far too small for the both of them, so Elijah's body was pressed against Cairo's. If he was able to move, Cairo would've thrown himself away from the older man, but since he couldn't, he just laid there and struggled to get a grasp on reality. Cairo was somewhat aware of what was going on around him. He knew Elijah was beside him and that the older man's hand was currently feeling along his body, but he was struggling to pay attention to it all. He was experiencing tunnel vision and Elijah's words just seemed to bounce off the walls and echo in his ears.

"Stop, please," Cairo spoke, or at least he thought he did. He wasn't completely sure if his words were coming out clear and coherent. They weren't. What Elijah heard was just slurred words and he shushed Cairo quietly.

"Shh," he whispered as he moved his hand further down Cairo's body.

His hand felt along the crotch of the pants he had given Cairo to wear. Elijah began to undress Cairo and when he moved to the other side of him, he noticed the tears leaving the younger man's eyes.

With a sigh, Elijah shook his head, "don't worry, cub. I just want to see how much you've grown up since the last time I've seen you".

Elijah had been the first person Cairo had sex with. Cairo had given his virginity up to Elijah when he was sixteen. It was after Cairo had sent intimate photos of himself to Elijah, and after Elijah had introduced him to ecstasy. Cairo was high when Elijah coaxed him into having sex. Even though he was high and was experiencing happiness, Cairo hadn't been too sure about having sex. He didn't think he was ready and he certainly didn't want his first time to be while he wasn't sober.

Elijah was a good persuader though, the man always had been. He could get Cairo to do things the younger man didn't really want to do. Sending photos of himself was one example, and popping pills was another. Having sex was just another thing Elijah was able to persuade Cairo into doing. He preyed on Cairo's vulnerability of being high and he knew that if he said the right things, Cairo would eventually agree.

Elijah told Cairo having sex felt so much better than just touching yourself. He said it would only hurt for the first few seconds, and then after that it would feel great. He told Cairo it was the most intimate thing two people could do with one another, and he asked Cairo why he didn't want to share that experience with him. He made Cairo feel guilty for wanting to say 'no', and he praised Cairo when he finally gave a hesitant 'okay'.

It hadn't been as great as Elijah made it out to sound. Having sex for the first time hurt longer than just for the first few seconds. Even though Cairo had been high at the time, he didn't feel very good while Elijah thrusted into him. It just hadn't felt pleasurable, and that's how a majority of the sex between them felt for Cairo. It was very rare where Cairo actually enjoyed having sex with Elijah. It felt more like a chore than anything else.

That was why Cairo had never been a very sexual person after he managed to escape from Elijah. The older man had ruined sex for Cairo, and even though Cairo couldn't remember anything about Elijah, his body still could. Whenever Cairo went to touch himself, he would always get this strange sense of discomfort. Cairo had long since written it off as him just potentially being asexual and having an aversion to all things sexual. That wasn't the case, and Cairo came to realize this when he had been introduced to Dimitri. Dimitri made Cairo want to touch himself and even though it took him a while to get comfortable with his body, he would masturbate to Dimitri before they had their first sexual encounter with one another. Dimitri made Cairo realize that he did actually enjoy touching himself, and he eventually made Cairo realize that sex could indeed feel great. Dimitri knew how to treat Cairo's body with respect which was something Elijah had never once done before.

It certainly wasn't what Elijah was doing now and there was nothing Cairo could do to stop Elijah's unwanted touches. The younger man couldn't move, but he could somewhat feel what Elijah was doing to him. His body felt pretty numb, but it seemed like he could just faintly feel Elijah's touch. Cairo could feel the places Elijah's hands were touching and if he was able to wince in pain then Cairo would. Elijah was touching Cairo roughly and his hands were gripping him too hard. Cairo was sure that he would leave behind bruises and the thought of having bruises on his body made him cry harder.

"You've matured so much," Elijah muttered as he continued to touch and observe Cairo's naked body.

He stopped to shed his own clothes, and then he was naked too. Elijah moved Cairo's drugged body into the position that he wanted him in. He rolled Cairo over so he was laying on his stomach and the side of his face was pressed against the mattress. Elijah took the time to admire Cairo's backside before continuing on with his actions.

"You don't know how much I've missed you, cub," Elijah stated as he placed his hands on Cairo's waist and lifted up. He raised Cairo's hips into the air and he positioned his cock at Cairo's entrance. "How much I've missed this".

If Cairo had the ability to scream then he would've. Elijah forcing his way into Cairo's body didn't hurt nearly as much as it would've if Cairo wasn't drugged. However, just the knowledge that Elijah was in him made Cairo want to cry out and scream. He urged his limbs to move, but they didn't. Cairo couldn't escape what Elijah was doing to him and his only two options were to either stare at the concrete wall and focus on it or close his eyes and think about something else.

Cairo settled for closing his eyes and thinking about something else, and that something else was Dimitri. He thought about how they met and the way they got to know each other. He thought about the fun times he and Dimitri shared together and the way Dimitri made Cairo feel. He visualized Dimitri's smile and if he concentrated hard enough, he could even hear his voice and his laugh. Thinking about Dimitri was what got Cairo through the ordeal of Elijah taking advantage of him and using his body.

Once it was over and Elijah had finished inside of Cairo, he put back on his clothes and rubbed the younger man's lower back. He pressed a kiss to the top of Cairo's spine and murmured, "you felt good when you were sixteen, cub, and you feel just as great now that you're twenty-two".

Elijah left Cairo alone to deal with the aftermath of what he'd just done to him. As the drug wore off, Cairo began to get feeling in his body again. His head was becoming clearer and with that new found focus and ability to feel his limbs, the only thing he could now concentrate on was how much pain he was in. His body was tingling and aching. It took Cairo minutes to be able to gain the ability to move, but once he was able to, and once he did, he gasped at the pain.

The excruciating pain shot up his spine and as Cairo struggled to his feet, he began to sob. He could feel Elijah's semen slowly oozing out of his entrance, and when he looked down at his legs he could see it on his skin mixed in with the blood from Elijah forcing his way into him. Cairo stumbled into the small bathroom and he gripped the edge of the sink and leaned against it as he continued to sob. He looked at himself in the mirror and shook his head at what he saw.

Seeing himself in tears reminded Cairo of all of those times he would spend crying because of Elijah when he used to live with the older man. Elijah broke Cairo down daily and Cairo would always hide away in the bathroom to cry in peace. Cairo never imagined himself having to experience such a thing ever again. Dimitri had never given him a negative reason to cry.

Cairo hated what he saw staring back at him, and he hated what Elijah had just done to him and his body. Through his sobs, Cairo striked the mirror with a closed fist and watched as it shattered from the force. He took a step back and sniffled. The shards of broken glass had fallen into the sink and some had managed to fall onto the floor as well. Cairo could see the many different reflections of himself in the shards. He sniffled once again and gingerly sat down on the floor with a wince.

Cairo picked up a shard of glass that was about the size of the palm of his hand. He spread his legs and carefully pressed the glass to his inner thigh. He stared at the faint scars from his previous self-harm and wondered what the harm would be if he didn't stay clean. He wasn't clean from drugs anymore, so what would it matter if he wasn't clean from self-harm either?

Cairo hissed at the pain that came along with running the glass against his skin, and he watched as his blood immediately rose to the surface. He sat there and cut at his skin and once he was done he began to cry again. He moved the glass to his wrist and looked up at the ceiling. Cairo had no idea how long he was going to be in the bunker but he did know that he didn't want to go through being raped again. If he was dead then he could get away from Elijah once and for all. Cairo just had to cut deep enough, but he didn't have the willpower because the only other thing he could think about as he contemplated suicide was Dimitri.

He had no idea what the man was currently doing, but Cairo still knew Dimitri was looking for him. Dimitri wasn't going to stop looking for him and Cairo would absolutely hate for Dimitri to find him dead. He had to stay alive, not for his sake, but for Dimitri's, and even for Seven's and Fionn's as well. The three men were the reason why Cairo needed to live. If he couldn't stay alive for himself then he would stay alive for them.


	31. Chapter Thirty-One

Dimitri had run out of time and Cairo was dead. As he stared down at the younger man's mutilated body, Dimitri began to cry. His only job was to find Cairo alive and safe, and he had failed. Dimitri wondered if Cairo's death had been quick and he certainly hoped that it had been. He didn't want Cairo to suffer more than he absolutely needed to. From what Dimitri could tell though, it hadn't been quick at all. There were deep gashes in Cairo's abdomen and his leg was bent at an odd angle. The man's throat had been slit as there was a cut going from ear to ear. The blood there looked fresh and Dimitri realized that Cairo's death had been recent. Dimitri figured that if he had found Cairo just an hour earlier than he might've still been alive.

Dimitri sat down on the ground and collected Cairo's lifeless body into his arms. He held the young man close to him and sobbed heavily. Cairo's blood was staining Dimitri's clothes, but the man didn't care. He coddled Cairo close and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"I'm sorry," Dimitri murmured, "God, I'm so sorry, love. I can't believe I let this happen to you".

Dimitri jolted awake and quickly sat up in bed. He gasped at the sharp ache in his abdomen and moved a hand to his stomach. He willed himself to calm down as he looked around his dark bedroom. He was breathing heavily and he concentrated on taking deep, slow breaths instead. His eyes moved to the clock resting on his nightstand and he learned that it was only three in the morning.

Dimitri dreamed about Cairo almost every night and on the nights that he didn't, he wished that he had. Dreaming was the only time Dimitri was able to get Cairo back. He dreamed of meeting Cairo as well as experiencing daily interactions with him. Dimitri dreamed of finding Cairo and saving him but those dreams sometimes tended to slowly morph into nightmares when Dimitri would stumble upon Cairo's lifeless body and realize that he had been too late.

Dimitri had just experienced yet another nightmare. They were becoming more frequent the longer time passed and it grew closer to the end of the month. It had passed the seventy-two hour mark for Cairo. He had officially been missing for three days now, but it felt so much longer to Dimitri. The man was struggling and he didn't know how to cope with Cairo's absence.

After he returned home from work on the day he went to talk to his captain, Dimitri had called his mother. She answered like she usually did with a soft, but loving 'hello, sweetheart'. Dimitri had been able to muster up a 'hi, mom' in response. Renae had immediately been able to tell something was wrong and when she asked Dimitri about it, he proceeded to tell her. He told her all about Cairo's disappearance and how he currently had no idea where he was. He told her about how he believed Cairo had been taken by the person responsible for the recent serial murders. He expressed to her his worry about not finding Cairo in time. Dimitri cried to his mother and it broke Renae's heart to hear her son cry because the last time she had heard Dimitri cry as hard as he did was when his grandmother had passed away. Renae had tried her best to offer Dimitri reassurance. She told him they would find Cairo in time and that he shouldn't stress himself out with too much worry. Renae told Dimitri he needed to take care of himself because she knew how her son could get when he was consumed by a depressive fog. She told him Cairo wouldn't want him to not administer self care.

When Renae had gotten off of the phone with Dimitri, the woman had cried a bit herself. She was scared for Cairo and she was devastated someone had abducted him. Renae had taken a liking to Cairo rather quickly and for her to learn about what happened to him made her sad. She didn't know much about Cairo's past, but one thing she was absolutely certain about was that Cairo didn't deserve to be kidnapped. She made sure to tell Dimitri to keep her updated with the investigation because she cared about Cairo and wanted to make sure he was found safe and alive.

Once Dimitri had got his breathing under control, he reached over and picked up his phone from the nightstand. He checked the new notifications on his phone and when he was finished, he returned his phone to where it once was. Dimitri couldn't fall back asleep. He never could once he had a nightmare about Cairo.

Dimitri laid back down and sighed. He turned over onto his side and stared at his clock. As he did so, he thought about his nightmare and the way Cairo's body had looked. Dimitri didn't acknowledge the way his eyes were becoming wet with tears. He just simply stared at the clock and watched time go by. He had to get up in four hours so he could get to the department. For those next four hours, Dimitri didn't do anything except lay in bed and think about where he went wrong.

When it was time for him to get up, he forced himself up and began to get ready for his day. He took a shower, got dressed, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and collected his hair into a bun. He carefully woke Mabel up from where she was sleeping on Cairo's side of the bed before picking her up and carrying her downstairs. When the two were in the kitchen, Dimitri set Mabel down and began to make her breakfast.

"Here you go, Mabel," Dimitri said once he had scooped her cat food into her bowl. He made sure to get her fresh water and once she began to eat, Dimitri worked on making some food for himself.

He made himself a bagel with a little bit of cream cheese smeared on top. He took two bites and then tossed it in the trash because he didn't feel up to eating. After he made himself a cup of coffee, Dimitri scratched between Mabel's ears.

"I'm going to head out now," Dimitri stated, "I'll see you when I get home".

The drive to the department was quiet. Dimitri didn't turn on the radio because he just wanted to sit in silence. He focused on driving and consuming his coffee until he pulled into the parking lot of the police department. He unclipped his seatbelt but he didn't immediately get out of the car. He sat and stared blankly ahead of himself for a moment before sighing. Dimitri was tired. He'd been up since three and the coffee he was drinking wasn't helping him much.

Dimitri jumped in surprise at the sudden tapping on his driver's side window. He sucked in a breath and frowned because he was reminded of the night Cairo was taken. Cairo and Dimitri had been sharing a kiss in his car when Fionn had tapped on the window to let them know that he could see them. Dimitri desperately wished he could go back to that moment. He would've taken Cairo back home with him instead of entering the club.

Dimitri turned his head and looked at Ren who was standing in front of his door. She moved to the side when Dimitri made to get out of the car.

"Hi, Dimitri," Ren greeted, she eyed him hesitantly. "Did you sleep alright?"

"I had another nightmare," Dimitri answered truthfully, "I've been up since three".

"Was your nightmare about..."

Dimitri nodded his head when Ren trailed off. "Yeah, it was similar to the others. I didn't get to him in time again".

"I'm sorry," Ren apologized, she shook her head, "that must be so hard to wake up from".

"It is," Dimitri replied, "it really is".

Ren motioned to the building, "well let's see if we can figure some stuff out today".

Dimitri nodded his head and followed beside Ren as they made their way inside. Ren had stuck to her word and spoke to Captain Hutchinson about adding Dimitri to the case. It took a lot of persuading on Ren's part and even when Captain Hutchinson had agreed, he did it with hesitance. He told Ren that Dimitri was not to be the front runner of the case. He wasn't a detective and this wasn't his case, he was simply there to help gather information. Hutchinson made sure to let both Ren and Dimitri know that if Dimitri became far too invested then he would promptly be removed. Dimitri had bit his tongue because he was so tempted to let his captain know that he was already too invested, but he thought better of it. Dimitri would do a good job in not letting Hutchinson know.

When Ren and Dimitri walked into the investigation room, Dimitri immediately found a chair to sit in. He huffed softly and winced at the dull ache in his side. He hadn't been taking it easy ever since Cairo had been abducted. There had been a time or two where Dimitri had rounded the kitchen island too fast and accidentally clipped his side with the corner of the island. The abrupt pain had caused him to shout in agony and mutter a curse word to himself.

"Are you in pain?" Ren asked, she had been keeping a close eye on Dimitri ever since she had noticed him sitting in his car.

Humming softly, Dimitri nodded his head, "a bit, but I'll be fine. It could be worse, I'll manage".

"If you say so, let me know if that changes though".

"I will," Dimitri replied.

He looked to the whiteboard and stared at Cairo's picture for a few short seconds.

"The others should be here soon," Ren began, "but since I'm the lead detective, we can start now and I'll fill them in".

"Is it alright if I just sit here?"

Ren nodded, "of course".

Dimitri watched her as she moved to stand by the board. She looked at the photos of the victims and the information that was beneath each one.

"So we know where each body was found and we think we know the race and height of the murderer".

With a nod of his head, Dimitri looked at the city map that had been taped to the other side of the whiteboard.

"We have some evidence, but it's not enough for a sample to be tested through our system". Ren took a moment to think, "I've spoken with the families of the victims and they've all given me information about their personal lives. Two of our victims lived a quiet life and never had a problem with anyone while one has had a few physical altercations with another person. The victim Tyler Robinson had multiple fights with Hunter Reed".

"Did somebody talk to Hunter?"

"Yes, we brought him into the station for questioning, but he has an alibi," Ren answered. "He was with his girlfriend the night of Tyler's murder. Even though he fits the description of who we think the murderer is, he didn't do it".

Dimitri felt a small bit of disappointment. He was desperate for a lead, and right now they currently had none. Hunter Reed could've been it, but he had a strong alibi.

"Have you been able to get into contact with Cairo's family yet?" Ren asked.

With a shake of his head, Dimitri replied, "no. His mother nor his father will answer their phones. I've left multiple voicemails to the point where both of their phones will no longer accept new voicemails".

Dimitri had managed to track down the information of Cairo's parents. He had been trying to get into contact with them. He had called both of their cellphones and when neither answered, he left voicemails letting them know what happened to their son. They had yet to get back to him and Dimitri was wondering why they were refusing to answer his calls.

"What? They still haven't called you back?" Ren asked in disbelief. "Their son is missing and they won't talk to you?"

"It's bizarre, isn't it?" Dimitri questioned, "I don't know why they won't pick up the phone". Dimitri looked to the clock that was hanging on the wall, "I could try calling again now, it's not an unreasonable hour to call".

Ren nodded, "I think you should".

Dimitri stood up from his chair and walked to the phone that was in the room. He had managed to memorize the number that belonged to Cairo's mother due to him calling her repeatedly throughout the past few days. Dimitri dialed her number and held the phone to his ear. He had been expecting to hear the automated message telling him that Camille's voicemail was full, but instead Dimitri was met with a soft, but curious voice.

"Hello?"

Dimitri could immediately tell that the voice didn't belong to that of a woman. It was far too child-like and masculine sounding. Dimitri suspected Cairo's younger brother had answered the phone.

"Hello, my name is Officer Alexander. Is Camille Jones available?"

Ren was watching Dimitri and she raised her eyebrows in surprise when Dimitri glanced at her. She hadn't been expecting anyone to answer the phone either.

"Yeah, hold on," Miles, Cairo's younger brother, replied. Dimitri listened quietly as he heard the boy say, "mom! Some cop guy wants to talk to you!".

If Dimitri concentrated hard enough, he could make out a voice of a woman who sounded angry. Dimitri could make out the words, "Miles! What did I tell you about answering my phone without my permission? Give it here right now".

"Ma'am," Dimitri spoke when it was clear she had taken the phone from her son.

"Don't call me again," Camille said sternly.

Dimitri blinked in surprise at her tone, "I'm Officer Alexander, it's about your eldest son, Cairo Jones".

"I know what it's about and I do not want to know nor do I care. You've called me and my husband multiple times. If we haven't answered, I thought you would've gotten the message by now that we have no desire to discuss anything with you".

"I apologize for becoming an annoyance, but it's very important that I speak to you about your son, ma'am," Dimitri stated. "He's recently been abducted and the detective team is trying their best to loca-" "Don't call me again," Camille interrupted before hanging up the phone.

Dimitri listened to the dial tone as he tried his best to comprehend what just happened. "She hung up on me".

"Did she really?" Ren asked, "even after hearing that her son has been abducted?" Once Dimitri nodded his head, Ren continued to speak, "I don't understand. Cairo's her son, you'd think she'd be the least bit worried".

"They aren't close..." Dimitri murmured as he began to call Camille Jones again. "Cairo told me that a while back. He and his family don't have the best relationship. I didn't think it was that bad, not to the point where his mother wouldn't be concerned about his disappearance".

Dimitri muttered a curse word when he got Camille's voicemail again. He felt both defeated and angry at the way the woman was blatantly ignoring him. Dimitri needed to speak to either her or Derick because they may have valuable information that could help Dimitri find Cairo. Dimitri was big on family, he always had been, and it angered him that Cairo's parents obviously didn't care for their eldest son.

"I'll try giving her a call myself later on," Ren said, "I doubt she's going to answer anyone who calls her phone within the next hour".

Sighing heavily, Dimitri returned to his chair and massaged his temples. When she noticed how stressed Dimitri seemed, Ren walked over and gave him a comforting pat on his upper back.

"Don't stress, please. We're going to get Cairo's parents to speak to us one way or another".

Dimitri didn't say anything as he nodded his head, he just hoped Ren was right. Dimitri had been kind of looking forward to come into work today because he knew he would be able to continue his search for Cairo. As the day went on though, he found himself ready to go home. Dimitri hadn't learned anything new about Cairo's abduction and it pained him. He wanted to get home so he could wallow in his sadness and cry in peace instead of having to sneak off to the bathrooms while he was at work.

When Dimitri pulled into his driveway, he didn't know what to think when he saw Seven's car in the driveway. Seven knew that he was only meant to use the key Dimitri had given him for emergencies. When he walked into his house and found Seven and Fionn sitting at the island, Dimitri was too tired to feel angry. He was ultimately curious more than anything else.

"What're you doing in my house?"

"You said we could come over," Fionn answered as he looked at Dimitri, the older man could tell just by looking at him that he wasn't doing too well. He supposed Fionn could look at him and tell the same thing.

"Yesterday we spoke on the phone," Seven reminded his friend. "I asked if we could keep you company the next day. Don't you remember?"

Dimitri thought for a moment before slowly beginning to nod his head. He had forgotten about his phone call with Seven. It had been short because Dimitri was too busy making himself a dinner that he didn't even bother to eat.

"Yeah, sorry, I remember". Dimitri crossed the room and opened the refrigerator. He grabbed a bottled water and leaned against the counter.

Seven stared at Dimitri and frowned, "are you okay?"

After taking a drink of his water and sitting down at the island, Dimitri answered honestly, "no, not at all".

"I feel you, mate," Fionn said, "I feel the exact same way because of Cairo being gone. I've just been struggling ever since he was taken. I can't concentrate on my classes because every time I'm in a lecture, I start to think about him and if he's alright or not. I can't imagine what it's been like for you. Having to wake up to an empty house and going to work where the investigation is occurring must be hell".

"It is," Dimitri said, "I keep having these dreams about him, sometimes they end up being nightmares. It's hard not being able to get a good enough lead to push the investigation further. I've tried getting into contact with Cairo's parents multiple times and they won't answer my phone calls".

Seven frowned, "what? Did you leave voicemails? Do they know why you keep calling them?"

"Yes, they know. I managed to share a few words with Cairo's mother and she told me that she didn't care about why I needed to talk to her about Cairo".

"That's fucked up," Seven said, "Cairo's her son".

"Did you know his relationship with his parents was that bad?" Dimitri asked Fionn.

The redhead nodded his head, "I had my suspicions. I know Cairo isn't close with his family, I have no idea why they aren't. He would never tell me, every time I asked he would just tell me that he didn't remember why. I took it for what it was. He didn't want me to know, so I stopped asking. I figured it was pretty bad when he never went home to his parent's house for major holidays. I can't believe his own parents don't care that he's missing though... That's pretty terrible".

"What do you think happened?" Seven asked, "I mean something had to have happened if Cairo's parents seemed to have just cut ties with him. I would think that something big had to happen in order for love to be lost".

"I have no idea," Dimitri murmured. He shook his head a little, "I could never imagine my parents not loving me, no matter what happened between us".

"Can you and the detectives continue the investigation even if you don't talk to his parents?" Fionn asked.

"We can, it'll just help us tremendously if we can speak to his mother and father. They might have information that can point us in some sort of direction. We've been speaking to the families of the victims to see if they've had any bad history with anyone before".

"You think Cairo has bad blood with someone?" Seven questioned. The man couldn't imagine Cairo ever getting on someone's bad side. "He's Cairo, he's like the sweetest person we all know".

Dimitri shrugged his shoulders and shook his head once more, "I don't know. We've got to consider everything if we want to find him".

Sighing softly, Dimitri placed his head in the palms of his hands. There was a pain sitting on his temples, it seemed to have been there all day. His hands had been shaking as well, but Dimitri had just written it off as him being stressed out. As the man sat at the island, he realized he hadn't checked on Mabel who had been in her hammock when he entered the house. Dimitri always made sure to give Mabel his love whenever he got home because it was what Cairo would do every time he stepped foot into the home after a long day. When the man stood up to do so, his steps faltered at the abrupt head rush he had received.

Seven noticed the way Dimitri seemed unsteady on his feet and he shot up from his chair when it became clear that Dimitri was going to topple over. He was quick to hook his arms beneath Dimitri's armpits before he could hit the floor.

"Dimitri, what the fuck?" Seven asked as he carefully lowered his friend to the floor.

"Sorry, sorry," Dimitri apologized quickly as he rubbed at his eyes. He blinked a few times in hopes of ridding himself of the sudden tunnel vision he had developed.

Fionn knelt down beside him and carefully touched his shoulder, "are you alright? What just happened?"

"I think I almost fainted," Dimitri muttered, he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Have you been eating?" Seven asked seriously, he stared at Dimitri and waited for an answer.

"Yes, I've taken bites of food here and there".

With a quirked brow, Seven asked another question, "when was the last time you actually had a full meal?"

Dimitri thought for a moment even though he really didn't have to. He knew when he had a full meal. "The day Cairo was taken. We ate before we left for the club".

"That was four days ago, Dimitri," Fionn murmured, "you haven't eaten since then?"

"I have, I've eaten".

"Not a meal," Seven said, "you said so yourself. What exactly have you eaten since Cairo's been gone?"

With a sigh, Dimitri replied, "I've been eating a little bit of cereal and I had two bites of a bagel this morning. I skipped lunch yesterday and I had a fruit cup today. I can't remember what else I've eaten, but I know it wasn't much".

Seven glared, "you always do this every single time you get stressed out. You don't eat. I should've been checking in every day to see if you've eaten an actual meal".

Dimitri rolled his eyes even though he knew Seven was right. Not eating when he was stressed had always been something Dimitri did. It was like once he was consumed by stress, he couldn't consume food. Eating was the last thing on his mind when he had more important things to worry about. Dimitri always thought he could get by and just eat a few bites of food here and there, but it was obvious that he couldn't. Dimitri was a grown man and his body needed more than just a few calories a day.

"Can you help me up, please?" Dimitri asked quietly as he looked up at Seven and Fionn from where he was still sitting on the floor.

Once the two men had helped Dimitri to his feet, they walked him to the living room and had him sit down on the couch.

"I'm going to make you something to eat," Seven announced.

"Seven, I'm fine," Dimitri replied, he opened his mouth to continue to speak, but he decided against it when he noticed the way he was being looked at.

"I'd believe you if I didn't just watch you almost faint," Seven stated, "if you keep skipping meals I'm going to call your mom".

Dimitri scoffed, "oh, that's low".

"I don't care," Seven replied, and it was clear that he truly didn't.

"Cairo wouldn't want you to not eat, you know?" Fionn said once Seven had returned to the kitchen and he had found a place to sit down.

"I am eating," Dimitri responded.

"You know what I mean," Fionn softly replied. "I get that you're stressed because I am too, but you can't let yourself not eat. You've got to take care of yourself so that when you find Cairo, he won't feel guilty when he sees you. You know he's going to blame himself if he finds out that you've neglected to take care of yourself".

Dimitri chuckled at the thought and knew Fionn was right. Cairo would find any way to blame himself for Dimitri neglecting his own health.

"I miss him so much," Dimitri whispered. "I love him more than I ever thought I could".

"Me too," Fionn agreed, "you don't know how much you take advantage of a person's presence until they're gone".

Fionn made a great point. There were so many things Dimitri would've done differently on the days leading up to Cairo being kidnapped. He definitely would've done things differently on the day of as well. He would've held Cairo both tighter and closer, and he would've made sure to kiss him every single time he left the room. Dimitri would've went with Cairo to get his drink at the bar and he wouldn't have taken his eyes off of him for even a second.

There were so many things Dimitri would do differently and he regretted not just doing them when he had the chance. He worried that he would never be able to do any of those things again and that absolutely terrified him.


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two

Cairo was ready to die. He had never been more ready in his life and that absolutely terrified him because he didn't want to die. He was only twenty-two and he had just got his life back on track. He had made strong connections with three men, one of them being his boyfriend. He was at a place in life where he had finally been happy, and to have that change so quickly devastated him. Cairo had many different things to live for, but he often forgot all about them when Elijah's hands were on him.

Elijah had been mad when he saw what Cairo had done to the mirror, and especially so when he saw what Cairo had done to himself. He cleaned up the mess Cairo had made but not before yelling at him and beating him. Elijah punished Cairo for hurting himself because the funny thing was, Elijah believed he was the only one who could do such thing to Cairo. Elijah was in control of every part of Cairo. He chose when and what the younger man ate, when he bathed himself and got a fresh pair of clean clothes, and what he did to his body. Cairo wasn't allowed to hurt himself because Elijah never said he could.

After Elijah had discarded of the broken glass, he left Cairo alone to deal with his wounds. The younger man couldn't move without feeling pain in at least one part of his body. His skin was bruised from where Elijah hit him and he felt very weak. Cairo had wondered how long it had been since he was taken because he had no grasp on time. It felt like it had been ages and Cairo was afraid that was actually true.

Cairo had to keep reminding himself that Dimitri was looking for him and he wasn't going to stop until he found him. It was hard to remember that there were people out there who loved him when every time Elijah visited him in the bunker he would act so crudely to Cairo. The older man would touch Cairo in ways he didn't want to be touched and he would put his hands on places that Cairo had only reserved for Dimitri. Cairo's willpower was wearing thin and even though he had promised to stay alive for Dimitri, Fionn, and Seven, Cairo wasn't so sure that he could actually do such thing.

Cairo currently sat on the bed with his knees pulled up to his chest. He had nestled himself within the corner and had begun to stare blankly into space. There was nothing for Cairo to do except for think. Being left with his thoughts was a dangerous thing. His mind would always wander back to the things Elijah did to him. Cairo was having a hard time coming to terms with Elijah raping him and how he continued to do so.

Elijah kept coming back for more. Cairo wasn't dumb, he hadn't believed the first time would be the last. It usually went the same way, Cairo would eat the food Elijah would give him because he was too afraid of the consequences. Elijah would come to check on him and once he saw how drugged out Cairo was, he would proceed to use his body anyway he wanted. Sometimes Elijah switched it up though and he didn't drug Cairo at all.

Cairo remembered how scared he had been when he realized Elijah hadn't drugged him. It sent a chill down his spine when Elijah climbed down into the bunker and approached him. Cairo wasn't sure what was worse, being raped while he was drugged or when he wasn't. When he was drugged, he couldn't move and he could barely feel much, but when he wasn't drugged he could move and feel everything. Cairo hated the way Elijah would move his body any way he wanted because Cairo couldn't do it himself. However, at the same time, Cairo couldn't stand the way Elijah held him down when he struggled to get the man off of him. Cairo figured he didn't have to choose which situation was worse because they both were absolutely terrible.

Cairo's brown eyes moved to the door when he heard the familiar clicking of it being unlocked. He wondered if he could catch Elijah off guard when the man was descending the ladder, but he decided against it because he knew if he failed to get the upper hand, Elijah would beat him to the brink of death. Instead, he watched Elijah climb down and tried to huddle closer into the corner.

"Hi, cub," Elijah greeted smoothly, "I thought I'd come down and check on you".

"And rape me again?" Cairo asked quietly. His voice was nearly gone due to how loud he had been screaming when Elijah had raped him the first time he hadn't been drugged.

Purposefully ignoring Cairo's question, Elijah shook off his backpack. "I thought we could talk".

"I don't want to talk to you," Cairo murmured.

"How's your family?"

"Fuck you," Cairo glared, "you have some nerve asking me about my family".

Cairo braced himself for the slap to the face that he knew was coming. It didn't hurt any less being prepared for it. His cheek stung and he brought a hand up to carefully massage it.

"How's your family?" Elijah repeated.

"I don't know," Cairo said, sounding defeated. He didn't want to answer Elijah's question, but he didn't want to be hit again either. "I haven't been in contact with them in years. You know they've disowned me".

Elijah clicked his tongue in disapproval, "that's a shame".

"They don't talk to me because of you," Cairo whispered, "you took my family away from me". Cairo looked to Elijah and continued speaking, "just like you took my virginity and my sobriety, and my happiness. You've taken so much from me, Elijah".

Tilting his head a bit, Elijah smirked, "I thought you said you didn't want to talk".

"You'll beat me if I don't," Cairo replied, frowning at the way Elijah was treating his words as a joke.

"Just for the record, I didn't take anything away from you," Elijah stated seriously. "Your family left you, I didn't force them to do that. You said 'yes' to losing your virginity to me an-" "I said 'okay', I never said 'yes' and I was fucking high".

"Don't interrupt me, Cairo," Elijah demanded, "and I don't give a shit what you said. You said 'yes' to getting high and I didn't take your happiness either. You were the happiest you've ever fucking been when you were with me. I brought you joy and showed you what it looked and felt like. You never thanked me for the shit I did for you".

"You ruined my life," Cairo stated, "yeah, I was happy in the beginning, but by the end, I was miserable. You preyed on me when I was at the weakest point of my life. I was fifteen, I was a child. You manipulated me into doing so many things I didn't want to do. I gave my body to you and I got high and I sent you pictures of myself. You made me do so much shit that fucked me up".

"I fucking helped you!" Elijah screamed. He was furious with the words that were coming out of Cairo's mouth.

How dare Cairo be ungrateful. Elijah bought Cairo clothes and he spoiled Cairo in any way he could. He made Cairo happy and he treated him better than anyone else ever had. Elijah couldn't understand how Cairo couldn't just be thankful for the things Elijah had done for him.

"I put a roof over your head when your parents kicked you out. I made sure you had clothes on your back and food in your fucking stomach. I did all of this shit for you, Cairo, and you know what you did? You decided to ruin what we had by telling others about it. What we had was ours and you ruined that".

"Do you know what you also did?" Cairo asked, "you broke my fucking wrist when I tried to block you from hitting me. You regulated every aspect of my life and when I stepped out of line you threatened to kill me. You played little mind games with me to the point where I thought I was going crazy. You've done all of these negative things to me and you're just choosing not to even acknowledge it".

Elijah frowned and shook his head, "I did all of those things because I loved you, Cairo. I can't believe years have gone by and you still don't seem to get that. No one is going to love you more than I loved you".

"That's not true".

Cairo was beginning to cry now because those were the exact words that Elijah used to always say to him whenever he would apologize to Cairo after beating him. Elijah would hold Cairo close to his chest and whisper to Cairo about how he hit him out of love. At the time, Cairo knew that wasn't true, and he still knows it to this day. Elijah knows it as well. The man knew he didn't abuse Cairo because he loved him, but that's what he told himself because it made himself feel better.

"That's not true at all," Cairo said, "I have people who love me more than you do. I have Fionn a-and Seven, and my boyfriend, Dimitri. Fionn and Dimitri's families love me and I'm sure Seven's family would love me too". Cairo sniffled and shook his head, "I have people who love me so much more and so much better than you did".

"Bullshit," Elijah swore, "you really think those people love you? You think they would do all of the things that I did for you? You think your so-called boyfriend could be better than me?"

"He is better than you in so many ways," Cairo spat. "He listens better than you do, he treats me with respect better than you do, he makes me laugh and smile better than you do, and he fucks me way better than you ever have".

If Cairo had the ability to stop time and rewind back to just a few seconds, then he would. He wouldn't have said anything about Dimitri being better in bed. He knew Elijah was getting to his breaking point, he could see it in the man's body language. Cairo knew he was pushing the limit and he saw the exact moment Elijah snapped. The man glared at the last few words of Cairo's sentence and crossed the room again to let his anger out on Cairo.

Cairo had been expecting another slap to the face, so he had been momentarily stunned when Elijah's fist connected with his eye and then his nose. Elijah had hit him so hard that the back of Cairo's head had collided with the concrete wall behind him. The younger man was dazed and too consumed by pain to concentrate on what was happening. Elijah's hand gripped Cairo's neck as he pressed him up against the wall.

It took Cairo a few seconds to comprehend that he couldn't breathe because Elijah was choking him. He could feel the older man's tight grip, his fingers squeezing around his neck. Cairo reached his own hands up to try and pry Elijah's fingers away, but his attempt was futile. He stared into Elijah's rage filled eyes as he desperately gasped for air to breathe. Cairo could feel the fear running through him as his vision began to produce black spots.

He figured he must've momentarily lost consciousness because the next thing he was aware of, he was on the floor and Elijah was on top of him. There was a hand keeping his face pressed into the cold, unforgiving ground as Elijah's other hand pulled down his pants. Cairo could taste the blood in his mouth and he briefly wondered if his nose was bleeding. He didn't have time to wonder long because Elijah was suddenly shoving himself into him. Cairo screamed in pain and his arms reached back to push Elijah off of him, but the older man was far too strong and Cairo was far too weak.

"Apologize for the shit you just said," Elijah stated.

"I'm sorry," Cairo sobbed and sniffled. "I'm really sorry".

Elijah proceeded to use Cairo's body to his satisfaction and when he was finished, he made sure to dish out another punch to Cairo's face. The younger man cried out at the force of the hit but he didn't do anything else. He laid on the floor in a dazed state and struggled to stay conscious.

"Ask me if you were good, cub," Elijah demanded as he knelt down closer to Cairo's face, "go on".

Elijah stared at Cairo's already bruised face. He could see the way Cairo's right eye was red due to the eye vessels he had broken when he punched him there. His nose was bleeding and his lip had been cut. Elijah figured it wouldn't take long before Cairo's face would begin to swell. Cairo hummed groggily and Elijah watched as the younger man's eyes seemed to struggle to find his. Once they finally locked eyes, Elijah could tell just how out of it Cairo currently was.

"Was I good?" Cairo slurred weakly, his entire body was aching, "for you?"

Elijah smirked, "you were".

Cairo didn't say anything in response and Elijah didn't force him to. Elijah figured the younger man had learned his lesson and it was clear Cairo wasn't going to stay conscious for much longer.

"You owe me, Cairo," Elijah stated before standing up and walking to the ladder. "If you don't remember anything else, I at least want you to remember that, alright? You owe me your fucking life".


	33. Chapter Thirty-Three

Dimitri was eating. He had no choice but to eat because Seven would make sure that he had. He dropped by Dimitri's house more often and made sure the meals he had meal prepped for Dimitri had been eaten. Seven had bought Dimitri a month's worth of groceries and spent hours in his kitchen with Fionn meal prepping. He and Fionn had packaged enough food that would last Dimitri a good while. Seven made enough money to buy Dimitri a large amount of groceries, and if he didn't, then Seven would've found a way to get Dimitri food to eat.

Seven could tell his friend was struggling. He had seen Dimitri go through hard times before, but it was nothing compared to what he was witnessing now. When Dimitri struggled with coming to terms of being gay, Seven knew that Dimitri was going to make it to the other side and figure it out. Seven knew Dimitri was going to be okay, but if you asked Seven if he thought Dimitri was going to be okay this time, Seven would say that he honestly wasn't sure.

With every passing day and Cairo still missing, Seven could see how it was negatively impacting Dimitri. The man didn't smile anymore and he looked tired all of the time. He ate the food Seven had bought him, but he knew that if he wasn't checking in, Dimitri wouldn't be eating at all. The man was on his feet more than he should be due to his fractured ribs. Dimitri just wasn't himself and Seven was scared. He wanted Cairo to be found safe and alive because he cared for the younger man. Seven also wanted Cairo to be okay because he knew that if he wasn't, Dimitri was going to break. The man was already crumbling and Seven didn't think he would be able to build himself back up if he got bad news about Cairo.

"Would it be bad if I just showed up to their house?" Dimitri asked Seven from where he was sitting across from him at the island. "They're only about two hours away. That's not that far to drive".

Seven looked at Dimitri and raised an eyebrow while Fionn, who was sitting beside Seven, shrugged his shoulders. The two men had stopped by Dimitri's house so they could all eat breakfast together. Seven was able to work it out with his job so he could come into the office a little bit later and Fionn only had afternoon classes.

"I say do what you have to do," Fionn said, "if they won't answer the phone, go to their house".

"That is a terrible idea," Seven stated, he looked at Dimitri. "You can't show up on Cairo's parent's doorstep, Dimitri".

"Why not?"

"Because they might call the police on you?" Seven posed his response as a question because wasn't it obvious why Dimitri shouldn't just show up on a couple's doorstep? Especially if that couple already told him not to contact them anymore?

"He is the police though," Fionn said, "so like... That's not a problem, right? If they do call the cops, just flash your badge and explain why you're there, right?"

Dimitri looked at Fionn and nodded his head, "yeah, that should work".

Seven eyed his friend warily, "Dimitri..."

The man frowned and sat up straight. He pushed his plate of food to the side and cleared his throat. "If I go to jail, I do not care," Dimitri brazenly stated, "I just need Cairo's parents to talk to me, Seven. I need answers. I don't have time to sit around and wait for them to come around because they won't. Five more days have passed and the detectives still have nothing. We've checked the cameras around Club Fahrenheit and we did identify a car that we think transported Cairo from one location to another, but we've already hit another dead end".

One camera just outside of Club Fahrenheit captured what was clearly Cairo and his captor exiting from the backdoor. When Dimitri had watched the footage, he could clearly make out Cairo's frame and the clothes he had been wearing. Dimitri knew that whoever had taken Cairo was aware of the cameras because he kept his head down the entire time so his face wouldn't be visible. A different camera caught Cairo being lead down the alley behind Club Fahrenheit and then down the sidewalk.

The team of detectives had to work to get video footage from the surrounding buildings and they were successful. All of the footage showed the man who had taken Cairo pick him up and place him in the back of a car that had been parked a block away. There was no license plate on the car and that clued Dimitri in to just how prepared the man was. The cameras tracked the car as it drove away from Club Fahrenheit but once it got a certain distance away, it could no longer be seen.

"I can't wait around anymore," Dimitri stated as he shook his head. "Why can't you get that? This whole time you've been telling me to let the detectives handle it. The detectives have been handling the past three murders and they haven't come up with shit. Cairo's in danger, Seven. What about that can't you get?"

Dimitri didn't want to get angry with Seven, but he was. He was tired and over Seven telling him that he should think about the outcome of the things he wanted to do. Dimitri didn't have time for that. He needed to find Cairo before it was too late.

"Do you not like Cairo?" Dimitri asked, "is that it?"

Seven looked at Dimitri as if he were offended. "Don't do that," Seven stated, "you know I care about him. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. I wouldn't be asking you for any new information if I didn't give a fuck about him".

"Well I can't tell, Seven, because every time I tell you my next step, you tell me not to do it. You tell me to wait, to think it through. I just don't see how you care".

"You're fucking frantic, Dimitri".

"I have a damn good reason to be. You would be too if it were Fionn".

"Can we take a moment to breathe, please?" Fionn asked.

Fionn looked between the two men. He had never seen them anything but friendly towards one another. To see the way they had just bickered was surprising for him.

Seven sighed and massaged his temples. "Can we trying calling again?"

With an annoyed glare, Dimitri replied, "they've blocked me, so no".

Fionn scoffed at Dimitri's words, "what's the number?"

Dimitri and Seven both watched as the red head pulled his phone from his pocket. He looked at Dimitri expectantly and when the older man began to recite the number, Fionn typed it into his phone.

Camille answering her phone was a long shot, but Fionn was willing to take it. He had nothing to lose and even if he did, he would've still called anyway. Fionn held his phone to his ear and he bit his lip when he figured he was going to get sent to voicemail.

"Hello?"

Sitting up in surprise, Fionn moved the phone from his ear and pressed the speaker button so Dimitri and Seven could hear Camille too.

"Hi, yes, is this Camille Jones?" Fionn asked sweetly.

"This is she, who's speaking?"

"Hi, my name is Fionn O'Connell. I'm Cairo's good friend and I was wondering if you mi-" "Did that police officer give you my number?" Camille interrupted angrily.

"He did, but that's not what I called you to talk about. Look, I honestly don't give a shit why you and your son aren't close. I'm just trying to get some information about Cairo's past because he's been missing for almost two weeks now. The detectives can't find him and we need your help. You might not see Cairo as your son anymore, but he's my best friend and he's somebody's boyfriend. He's very loved and if something were to happen to him then I'd be devastated".

It was quiet for a moment, and if Fionn wasn't looking at the timer on his phone, he would've thought Camille had hung up on him.

"You call that love?" Camille suddenly asked.

Fionn furrowed his eyebrows, "excuse me?"

"You know Cairo's boyfriend, so you've seen the two together. You know their history, correct? That's not love, and my husband and I didn't stand for it then and we won't stand for it now".

"What's she talking about?" Seven murmured quietly so Camille wouldn't hear. He looked to Dimitri, "she knows you?"

Dimitri shook his head, "I've never met her in my life".

"I'm sorry, I'm not following," Fionn stated. "You know Cairo's boyfriend?"

"Is this some kind of joke? Has Cairo put you up to this? You tell him that I'm not going to play his little games, alright? He has no right to get in contact with me, his father, or our kids. He wanted to act grown with that Elijah Hall man under my roof and he faced the consequences. Don't call this number again or I will not hesitate to get the authorities involved".

Fionn stared at the phone after Camille had promptly hung up. He looked at Dimitri next and Seven asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Who's Elijah Hall?"

Dimitri stood up and ignored the ache in his chest. "I don't know, but I need to get to the station right now".

Fionn watched as Dimitri abandoned his plate of food and leave the kitchen entirely. He followed after him and Seven did the same as well.

"You'll keep us updated, yeah?" Fionn asked.

Dimitri took the time to look at him and he nodded when he noticed how Fionn looked nervous.

"Of course," Dimitri answered, "I promise".

Dimitri left Seven and Fionn at his house and made the drive to the police department. He drove five over the speed limit even though he knew he wasn't supposed to. He had to get the department as soon as possible though because he needed to look up Elijah Hall immediately. Cairo had never mentioned the man to Dimitri, so he had absolutely no idea who he was except for being Cairo's ex-boyfriend.

Dimitri could feel his chest aching as he jogged up to the doors of the department after parking in the parking lot. He ignored the pain as best he could and continued to jog into the building.

"Ren," Dimitri immediately said once he had entered the investigation room. The woman looked away from the whiteboard and when her eyes were on him, Dimitri continued to speak, "I've got new information. Elijah Hall. We need to look him up in the database and see if there's any information about him".

Ren was obviously confused, but she didn't hesitate to cross the room and turn on the computer that was on top of a table. She motioned for Dimitri to sit in the chair that was in front of the computer because she could tell the man was having a slightly difficult time breathing. Ren moved and stood behind him and from where she stood, she watched Dimitri log into the computer.

"My friend called Cairo's mother, Camille, and she answered. They shared a few words and then Camille angrily said something about how Cairo wanted to act grown with this man named Elijah Hall. She referred to him as Cairo's boyfriend".

"You've never heard about him?" Ren asked, "Cairo's never mentioned him to you?"

With a shake of his head, Dimitri replied, "no".

Dimitri opened up their database and navigated his way through it. He pulled up the system that would allow him to look a person up. Dimitri typed 'Elijah Hall' into the search bar and watched as a multitude of different Elijah Hall's came up.

"There's so many," Dimitri said.

Ren patted his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, "I know, but let's narrow it down, alright? We know he's white and taller than five-ten. Let's keep the ones that match that and get rid of the ones that don't".

Dimitri and Ren worked together to narrow down the selection of men. When they were finished, the number wasn't as intimidating as it had been before. They had a list of twenty-five different men that had been previously arrested. Dimitri knew that if Elijah Hall had indeed taken Cairo, then he couldn't currently be in prison. Ren and Dimitri discarded the men who were currently serving time in prison and was then left with fifteen.

"Camille said Cairo was acting grown in her house, so that means that this Elijah Hall guy should have a driver's license from Elijah's home state, right?" Dimitri asked as he turned his head to glance at Ren.

Ren nodded, "yeah, that makes sense".

Dimitri removed any men who didn't have a driver's license in Cairo's home state. There were now only ten men that Ren and Dimitri had as options. As Dimitri looked through their date of births, he shook his head because there was something he just didn't seem to understand.

"Why are none of them around Cairo's age?" He asked quietly, "Camille said Elijah Hall was Cairo's boyfriend. Cairo's twenty-two, none of the men on this list are around the age of twenty-two".

Ren stared at the computer screen and bit her lip as she thought to herself. She wet her lips with her tongue and nervously cleared her throat. "What if... Dimitri, what if Elijah wasn't around Cairo's age when they met?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm saying..." Ren trailed off before continuing to speak, "what if Elijah was significantly older than Cairo when they met? It's the only thing that makes sense. All of these men are in their thirties. There is no way they would've ever been close to Cairo's age".

Dimitri shook his head in disbelief because no, there was no way Cairo had been involved with a man that was a decade older than him.

"Ren, there's no way," Dimitri said what he was thinking out loud and looked at the woman.

"Here, let's look into each one to see what they went to prison for," Ren said, "I might be wrong..."

Ren leaned over and placed her hand on top of the computer mouse. Dimitri watched the screen as Ren clicked through each man's report. Some men had served prison sentences for possession of narcotics while others had been put away for burglary or manslaughter. With each new report, Dimitri's eyes scanned the screen skeptically. He still didn't believe that Cairo could have any connection to any of the men.

When Ren clicked over to the last report, Dimitri found the text box that described what the man had served time for. Dimitri had been expecting another possession charge, so when his eyes read over the words 'aggravated sexual assault of a minor, domestic battery, and possessing child pornography', Dimitri was stunned.

"Dimitri..." Ren murmured after she too had read what Elijah Hall had been charged with.

"There's no way," Dimitri repeated for a second time, he felt like it was all he could say. "Ren, there's no way. I don't believe it. Cairo, would've... He would've told me about going through something like that. This isn't our guy".

Ren sighed at Dimitri's shocked state and blatant denial. She understood why he was having a hard time grasping it. The woman understood how hard it must be to learn that your lover had potentially been taken advantage of as a child.

"I know you don't want to believe it, but let's think about it, alright? Camille said Cairo was acting grown in her house and she said Elijah Hall was his boyfriend. None of the Elijah Hall's in the database are around Cairo's age at all. What if Cairo was seeing this man when he was a minor and he was doing things that were too mature for his age? They got caught, Elijah was charged and Cairo moved here".

"Cairo would've told me," Dimitri said, "wouldn't he? Ren, I don't mean to come off a rude, so please, don't take it that way... But what if you're just wrong?"

"What if I'm not?" Ren asked in response, "I know it's hard to wrap your head around, Dimitri. This isn't what I was expecting to find either, but right now this just makes the most sense. We've got to run with the information and the theory that we have so we can further the investigation".

Dimitri nodded his head a little, "okay".

He knew Ren was right and as she began to call in the other detectives, Dimitri opened up another window within the database and searched Cairo's name. He had never bothered to ask if the man had been arrested before because Dimitri had always assumed that someone like Cairo would never do anything to get arrested. It was clear to him that he had assumed wrong because as Dimitri narrowed down his search, he found a police report on the Cairo that he thought he knew so well.

Dimitri couldn't see what Cairo had done because his file had been sealed shut which meant Dimitri didn't have access to it. Cairo had gotten into trouble with the law before and he failed to ever mention it to Dimitri. The man looked around the room and continued to sit in his chair as he struggled to comprehend what he had learned. Cairo had been withholding information from him for months and Dimitri had no idea about it.

Even though Dimitri was severely confused and taken aback, he tried his hardest not to jump to conclusions. He trusted Cairo and even though Dimitri had no idea what had happened, he wanted to believe that Cairo had a perfectly good explanation as to why he kept his mouth shut about his ex. If what Ren said was correct, Dimitri could understand why Cairo never bothered to mention his past. Dimitri knew he had a lot to talk to Cairo about when he finally found the younger man.


	34. Chapter Thirty-Four

"We've got Elizabeth Hall waiting for us via video call," was the first thing Ren said to Dimitri when the man walked into the investigation room that morning. It was a new day and Dimitri was ready to finally figure things out. He hadn't slept well last night due to the theory Ren had come up with. Dimitri had struggled to fall asleep and then when he finally did, he had another nightmare about getting to Cairo too late.

After pinpointing which Elijah Hall was the one Camille had been referring to, Ren had a different detective track down the man's parents. Dimitri and the others had learned his mother, Elizabeth Hall, was currently alive, but Elijah's father, Michael Hall, was deceased. When Ren had contacted Elizabeth, the woman hadn't been too keen on speaking to her. It took Ren having to break down the severity of the situation that her son was in for Elizabeth to change her mind.

"Are you ready or do you need a minute?" Ren asked, "I know you just walked in".

Dimitri shook his head, "I'm good to go. We're on a time schedule, the sooner the better".

Ren nodded her head in agreement and motioned to a table and computer that was all set up for the video call. Ren closed the door to the investigation room while Dimitri sat in one of the two chairs situated beside the table. He let Ren get everything together when the woman joined him at the table because he wasn't too familiar with doing video calls for an investigation. So far Dimitri's investigation skills had been good and he hadn't caught the attention of Captain Hutchinson.

Dimitri watched the screen of the computer as Ren clicked into the video call. He observed the woman who appeared on the screen. She was an older woman with hair that was beginning to grey and soft blue eyes. There were glasses perched on her nose that distracted from the crow's feet around her eyelids. Dimitri thought she looked kind as she smiled softly when she was able to see Ren and Dimitri on her own computer screen. Dimitri decided to wait and see how the conversation would progress before writing Elizabeth Hall off as a sweet, lovely woman.

"Good morning, Ms. Hall, can you hear me alright?" Ren asked from where she sat beside Dimitri.

Elizabeth nodded, "I can".

"That's great," Ren smiled, "we can hear you just fine as well. I'm Detective Adachi and this is Officer Alexander". Dimitri offered Elizabeth a smile and a small wave before Ren continued to speak. "We're happy you were open to speaking to us about your son. We'll be recording this conversation, just so you know".

Dimitri picked up the voice recorder that was in front of him and turned it on so it could begin to capture the conversation.

"Okay, and I'd like to help in anyway I can," Elizabeth replied. "As much as it hurts to admit, I wouldn't put it past my son to do something illegal again".

Dimitri blinked in surprise at the woman's words. He figured Elijah Hall must've really worn her thin if she was able to easily admit that she thought her child would do wrong again.

As Ren flipped to a new, clean page on her notepad, she began to speak. "So from what we understand, your son, Elijah Hall, was arrested for aggravated sexual assault of a minor, domestic battery, and possession of child pornography. Did you know anything about that?"

"I did," Elizabeth nodded her head, "I was there in the courtroom when he was found guilty".

"Are you familiar with who Cairo Jones is?" Dimitri asked. He watched the way Elizabeth's face expressed familiarity.

She nodded her head, "I do".

"Could you go on and tell us what you know about him?" Ren questioned as she picked up her pen. Even though the conversation was being recorded, Ren had always been the type of person who enjoyed taking notes. She was waiting for Elizabeth to start speaking, and when the other woman did, Ren began to write down anything that she deemed important.

"I only saw Cairo in the courtroom, I had never seen him a day in my life until the day Elijah was taken to trial. By then I knew what type of charges Elijah was facing, so seeing Cairo had solidified things for me when it came to my son. Elijah did have a relationship with Cairo. They met when Cairo was fifteen and Elijah was twenty-five. They met online and things escalated from there".

"Escalated like how?" Ren asked, "in what way did things escalate?"

"The two spoke online and then eventually met in person. They stayed in contact after their first face-to-face meeting. When Cairo turned sixteen, Elijah started texting him much more explicit things. From what I learned through the trial, Elijah persuaded Cairo to send intimate photos of himself. As things continued, Elijah would pick Cairo up from his school and spend time with the boy. They would go to Elijah's apartment and do things".

"What things?"

"Drugs, Cairo had testified and said Elijah had coerced him into doing ecstasy. They had sex as well. Cairo's parents found out about his relationship with my son and they kicked him out when Cairo was eighteen. He moved in with my son and from there things got really bad. Elijah was abusive in many different ways to Cairo. Finally Cairo told someone about it and that's when my son got arrested".

"Elijah was released earlier this year, correct?"

Elizabeth nodded her head at Ren's next question. "Yes, he served years in prison, not as much as he was supposed to though. Elijah took a plea bargain and got a charge or two dropped which decreased his sentence years. Apparently he got out early for exceptionally good behavior. The people on the inside said Elijah had been rehabilitated to the fullest extent and had taken responsibility for his actions. I don't believe my son has done that one bit, but he managed to convince the people that mattered".

"Cairo's been missing for about two weeks now and we've been dealing with a serial killer for the past three months. We get a new body at the beginning of every month. Black males between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-five. Do you think your son could have anything to do with that?"

Elizabeth sniffled and fought back the tears in her eyes, she nodded, "I wouldn't be surprised. Even though Elijah had taken the plea deal, he didn't want to. His lawyer really pushed him to take it. Elijah had an outburst in the courtroom whenever Cairo would testify against him. I've never seen my son as angry as he was during the trial. He screamed so many obscene things at Cairo. He told Cairo that he would regret ruining things for them and that he should watch his back. It broke my heart because that wasn't the Elijah I knew. That wasn't my son in that courtroom".

Elizabeth remembered her son's trial very vividly. She remembered getting a call from Elijah when he had first been arrested. Everything had happened too quickly for Elizabeth to truly comprehend what her son was getting in trouble for. It wasn't until she was sitting in the audience of the courtroom and her son was handcuffed to a table and his lawyer was defending him that Elizabeth finally understood. Listening to Cairo testify and watching the way he couldn't even look at Elijah without almost experiencing a panic attack broke Elizabeth's heart.

"My son was sick," Elizabeth stated, "and I think he still is. He was the sweetest little boy, he was my sweetest little boy. His father died before he was born and I named Elijah after myself because it was just him and I. I think him not having a strong father figure in his life really impacted him. I never thought he would prey on a child though. Cairo was a child and Elijah should've known better".

Dimitri had been silently sitting beside Ren throughout the entire conversation. He hadn't known what to say after Elizabeth had explained what happened between her son and Cairo. He was feeling a lot of different things at the moment. He was devastated from hearing the things Elizabeth had said, and he was furious and stunned. Most of all though, Dimitri was disgusted. He could feel his stomach churn with every new detail Elizabeth gave and it got to be too much when she solidified that Cairo had been a child at the time everything happened.

"I need a minute," Dimitri murmured before getting up from his chair and leaving the room completely. He hadn't given Ren time to say anything to him, so the woman could only watch as he left. 

Dimitri found the nearest bathroom which happened to be the unisex bathroom meant for the public. Dimitri dropped down onto his knees and proceeded to vomit up his breakfast into the toilet. The man had done a pretty good job of not letting his emotions get the best of him while he was at work. He tried his best not to cry while he was on the job but Dimitri couldn't help it this time. He openly sobbed as he sat back on his heels.

Dimitri hadn't accepted Ren's theory yesterday. He was hoping she was wrong so he didn't allow himself to believe it. Having Elijah's own mother confirm what Elijah had done to Cairo was what Dimitri needed in order for him to truly come to terms with the truth. Dimitri didn't know how long he had sat and cried in the bathroom, but he figured it had been a while when there was a soft knock on the door and then Ren was poking her head in.

"I'm so sorry, Dimitri," Ren said. She stepped into the bathroom and didn't hesitate to sit down beside him. She placed an arm around his shoulders and hugged him.

"He was fifteen when it started, Ren," Dimitri murmured, "Cairo didn't testify until he was eighteen. That's three years of abuse and manipulation that he went through".

Dimitri couldn't believe that someone as sweet as Cairo had gone through such a thing. It wasn't something he deserved, it wasn't something anyone deserved. Dimitri couldn't understand how Cairo had managed to come out the other side of it. Dimitri figured that if he had gone through something similar, he wouldn't have been half as strong as Cairo.

"Why didn't he tell me?" Dimitri asked out loud, voicing his confusion. "Did he not trust me?"

The man felt selfish for being hurt because ultimately none of this was about him. Dimitri was hurt though. He couldn't understand why Cairo had kept something so big a secret from him. Was it really because Cairo didn't trust Dimitri? Did he think Dimitri would see him as less than? Or that he would view him as used? This was something Cairo had been holding onto ever since they met and he was disappointed that Cairo didn't trust him enough to divulge the information to him.

"I'm sure that's not it, Dimitri," Ren reassured. "I bet there's a perfectly good explanation as to why Cairo never told you. You'll just have to ask him when you see him again".

"What if I don't?" Dimitri asked quietly.

"You will, I finished talking to Ms. Hall. She gave us all of the information that she could in order to help us. She's emailed over a photo of Elijah so we can post his picture around the city. Elijah can't stay in hiding forever. Someone would've had to have seen him in the last two weeks".

Dimitri nodded his head and sniffled, "alright".

Ren patted his back, "do you want to go back to the room?"

"Yes," Dimitri stood up and offered Ren a hand. The man used a paper towel to clean up his face and he cleared his throat. "Do you have any gum?"

"I do, it's in my purse," Ren answered. "I'll give you some when we get back to the investigation room".

Dimitri followed alongside Ren back to the room. When he had been given a piece of gum, he popped it into his mouth and began to chew. It would have to do for now because Dimitri couldn't just leave work to go home and brush his teeth. Ren had already printed out Elijah's photo and taped it to the whiteboard. She had written the word 'suspect' above it in capital letters.

Dimitri stared at the picture and shook his head. He could feel himself getting angry the longer he continued to look. He couldn't believe Elijah had taken advantage of Cairo. Dimitri turned his attention to the map of the city that had been set up by one of the other detectives. There were X's written with marker on the locations where each body had been found. As Dimitri tracked the X's, he paid attention to the street names. The longer he observed the map, the quicker he came to realize something.

"Oh my God," he murmured.

"What is it?" Ren asked.

Dimitri pointed to one X, "this was the first body, right?" He pointed to another, "and this is the second", he pointed to the last, "and this is the third".

"Yes, what about it?"

Dimitri pointed to a street and stated, "Cairo's old apartment is right here".

Ren frowned, "You don't think..."

"It's obvious now that I know who we think is behind the murders. The murders started on the outskirts of the city and worked their way in. They were getting closer to Cairo's part of the city, to his apartment. Elijah knew where he lived, I think he was using the murders as a message to Cairo that he was coming. Three months and I never noticed".

"How could you have?" Ren asked, "Dimitri, you had no idea who Elijah was until yesterday. There's no way for you or Cairo to have known that Elijah was sending a message. Don't start blaming yourself for things you had no way of knowing".

Dimitri sighed because he knew Ren was right.

"Put a call out to the officers, please," Ren requested. "I've listed all of Elijah's features on the board".

Dimitri grabbed his radio from where it was in his duty belt. He sent a call out like Ren had asked him to.

"This is Officer Alexander, I'm currently with Detective Adachi. We need you all to keep an eye out for a six foot two, Caucasian male with blue eyes and blonde hair. He's thirty-two years old and may or may not have facial hair. His name is Elijah Hall, we believe he is behind the abduction of Cairo Jones and the three murders".

When Dimitri's coworkers responded back that they would all keep an eye out, he turned to look at Ren.

"Now what?" He asked.

Ren eyed the map behind him and confidently replied with, "we keep searching".


	35. Chapter Thirty-Five

"So what new information do you have?"

Dimitri took a deep breath and slowly let it out when he heard Seven's question. Just like before, Seven and Fionn had dropped by to have breakfast with Dimitri at his house. It had sort of become their thing. Dimitri would relay any new information he had discovered at work to the two men while they all ate.

Dimitri wasn't sure what all he should say when it came to answering Seven's question. He didn't want to tell everything that he had found out the other day. A majority of it was really sensitive information and Dimitri didn't think he had a right to tell any of it. Cairo had kept it a secret from Dimitri for a reason, so Dimitri didn't want to just go and tell Seven and Fionn about it when Cairo wasn't there to give him permission. He knew Fionn didn't know anything about it even though he was Cairo's best friend. Dimitri remembered Fionn telling him that he had no idea why Cairo didn't have a good relationship with his parents. It was obvious Fionn wasn't aware of what happened in Cairo's past.

"I spoke to Elijah Hall's mother, Elizabeth, with Ren yesterday. She confirmed that Elijah did have a relationship with Cairo. She emailed us a picture of him and I've told my coworkers to keep a look out for a man that fits his description".

"Did she say anything else about this Elijah guy?" Fionn asked. He looked at Dimitri hopefully before eating some of the scrambled eggs that was on his plate.

"Yes, but I can't tell you," Dimitri confessed, "Cairo has to be the one to do that".

"What..." Fionn trailed off in confusion, he furrowed his eyebrows, "Dimitri, what do you mean?"

"I'm sorry," Dimitri apologized, "I don't want to keep anything from either of you, but what I learned yesterday was a pretty big deal. I had no idea about it until yesterday. Cairo kept it a secret for a reason and I don't want to betray his trust by telling you both something that I'm not sure he would want you to know".

"I... Okay," Fionn slowly nodded his head, "I understand", and he really did.

Even though he was confused and slightly annoyed that Dimitri knew something about Cairo that he didn't, Fionn was ultimately understanding. Dimitri cared for Cairo immensely and Fionn had always known that. Fionn knew Dimitri was just doing what was in Cairo's best interest.

"Can we see the picture of the guy?" Seven asked before drinking some of his orange juice. "We'd like to keep an eye out too".

Dimitri picked up his cellphone that was resting on top of the island. He pulled up the image of Elijah that he had saved to his phone. He passed it off to Seven first since the man was closest to him. Dimitri could tell in the way Seven raised an eyebrow that he took notice of Elijah's age. When Seven gave the phone to Fionn and the younger man had finally seen what Elijah looked like, he frowned.

"How old is he?" Fionn asked.

"Thirty-two," Dimitri answered.

"Dimitri..." Fionn trailed off for a second time and stared at the man.

Dimitri could tell he wanted to ask why Elijah was so much older than Cairo. With a shake of his head, Dimitri spoke, "I can't tell you".

"Okay," Fionn sighed, he went back to staring at the photo of Elijah. The longer he stared, the deeper he frowned. "Wait, hold on".

Seven turned his head to look at his boyfriend, "what is it?"

"I know him," Fionn stated, "well I mean, not personally, but I've seen him before. At Club Fahrenheit, I've seen him there. I've served him drinks during my shifts at the bar".

Fionn sat back in his seat and tried to remember all of the times he had served Elijah drinks. He couldn't believe it was the same man who had taken Cairo. Fionn had been nice to him; the two had shared small talk as Fionn mixed the man's drink.

"Did he frequent the club a lot?" Dimitri asked.

"Kind of, he'd come in every so often. Do you think he knew Cairo went to the club because I worked there?"

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Seven questioned, "Elijah must have seen Cairo with you one time when he decided to go to Club Fahrenheit".

Dimitri nodded in agreement, "Elijah must've stuck around and decided to see just how often Cairo would pop in. He knew Cairo hung out at the club a lot and so he planned the abduction to happen there. I'm guessing he might have followed you both home one day because he knew where Cairo lived".

"How do you know that?" Fionn asked quietly.

"We think Elijah murdered the three men as a message to Cairo to let him know he was in town. The first murder was on the outskirts of the city and the second and third were closer in. They were getting closer to you and Cairo's old apartment. Elijah was warning Cairo this entire time and we didn't know anything about it".

"What the fuck?" Fionn murmured in disbelief. He shook his head and looked towards Seven who was just as surprised. "I served drinks to this guy, I made small talk with him and he was a murderer the entire time".

Seven could tell how shocked and shaken up Fionn was, so he wrapped his arms around the younger man and held him close. Even though Fionn didn't fit the demographic for Elijah's victims, it was still nerve-racking for Fionn to know that he had been talking to a murderer and Cairo's future abductor.

"I can't believe it," Fionn whispered into Seven's shoulder.

"I know it's hard to take in," Seven replied.

Seven was just as surprised as Fionn was. Fionn had a special place in his heart. Just like Dimitri had come to the conclusion that Cairo was it for him, Seven had done the same with Fionn. The younger man was exactly what Seven had been looking for in a person for as long as he could remember. He'd dealt with so many people interested in him because of his six figure paycheck that he had been expecting the same behavior from Fionn too. Seven hadn't even wanted to meet Fionn at first, but he was so glad that he had because Fionn was like a breath of fresh air compared to all of Seven's past partners. It upset Seven that Fionn had been so friendly to a man who had gone out and murdered three people. Fionn had been friendly to a man who was planning on kidnapping his best friend.

Seven felt guilty because he remembered the small bickering he and Dimitri had recently took part in. Seven hadn't meant to come off like he didn't care. He did care for Cairo, he was just simply trying to be the voice of reason. Dimitri told Seven he would've been frantic too if it had been Fionn who had gone missing, and Dimitri had been right. It could've been Fionn since Elijah obviously was aware of Fionn's connection to Cairo.

"Dimitri, I'm sorry," Seven apologized, "I really am. It wasn't my intention the other day to come off like I didn't care about Cairo". 

Dimitri looked at Seven and nodded his head, "it's okay. I'm sorry for accusing you of such thing. These past weeks have just been hard for me. I know you care and it was wrong of me to assume that you didn't".

Seven looked to Fionn and voiced his concern, "should Fionn be concerned about his safety or something? You said Elijah knew where Fionn and Cairo lived at one point. What if he's been keeping tabs this whole time?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, it wouldn't hurt to be a bit cautious," Dimitri admitted, "but I don't think Elijah knows where Fionn lives now. He moved into your building and that was a few months ago. It would be idiotic for Elijah to return to Club Fahrenheit. Captain Hutchinson sent out the image of Elijah to the news stations so they could put it on their TV broadcasts. If Elijah's been watching the news to keep tabs on the police department to see if we've caught on to him yet, then he should know that we now know what he looks like. He wouldn't go back to a place like a club, I doubt he would even leave wherever he's living right now".

Fionn shifted in his chair and nervously ran his hands through his hair. His green eyes found Dimitri's brown ones and he asked, "what does that mean for Cairo then? If Elijah finds out that you guys are on to him, what do you think he's going to do to Cairo? Do you think he's going to skip town and let Cairo go? Or... Or do you think Elijah will kill Cairo before you guys get to him first?"

Dimitri hesitated and he could tell that Fionn had picked up on it. He watched the way the younger man's facial expression crumpled into one of distress.

"I don't want Cairo to die," Fionn stated as he fought back his tears.

"He's not," Seven tried to assure but Dimitri shook his head.

"You don't know that, Seven," Fionn murmured. "I appreciate you trying to keep my hopes up, but you've got to admit that Cairo is in serious danger right now. There's no guarantee that we're going to get him back alive and I... I need to be ready for if we don't... I need to be prepared for that".

Clearing his throat, Dimitri reached his hand out so he could get his phone back. Fionn passed it to Seven who gave it to Dimitri. "You said Elijah's been to Club Fahrenheit a few times, do you know how long the club keeps the security footage before erasing it?"

"The cameras have a sixty day retention, so two months," Fionn answered.

"Do you remember Elijah coming into the club within the last two months?"

Fionn thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I don't, I'm sorry, but he may have come in on the days that I was off of work".

"I'd like to check the footage again," Dimitri said, "do you think I'd be able to do that today?"

"I don't have work until later tonight, but I can call my boss right now and tell her what's going on. She'll let you look at the footage, especially because you're a police officer. She's really nice, she'll want to help again".

Dimitri nodded his head and said "okay. I'm hoping Elijah drove to the club and one of the cameras picked up his license plate. I was thinking maybe he only took it off for when he kidnapped Cairo".

"Hopefully that's the case," Seven said, he watched Fionn as the younger man began to call his boss. He looked to Dimitri next and asked, "are you finished eating?"

After Dimitri nodded his head for a second time, Seven stood up and took his plate. He grabbed Fionn's and his own as well and he walked them to the sink.

"Thanks," Dimitri said as he watched his friend rinse the plates off before placing them in the dishwasher.

"No problem".

Dimitri listened to Fionn talk to his boss and when the younger man eventually hung up, he looked at Dimitri. "She's on her way to the club right now, she said she'll get there by eight. Her name's Jackie".

"Okay, I'll leave right now so I can meet her there," Dimitri stood up and pushed his chair in. "Thank you for calling her".

"If it means finding Cairo, I'll do anything you want me to," Fionn stated.

Dimitri smiled softly, "you're a really good friend, Fionn".

"Thank you," Fionn replied, he motioned to the living room. "Now go, I don't want you to waste any time".

"We're going to head out after you," Seven said, "I'll make sure to lock the door and everything".

Dimitri trusted Seven that he would, so he walked into the living room. Before he left the house, he gave Mabel one pat on the head. It didn't take Dimitri long to get to Club Fahrenheit and when he got there, he realized he had arrived before Jackie. Dimitri waited in his car for about ten minutes before another car was pulling into the parking lot. Eyeing the clock on his radio, Dimitri was pleased to see that it was eight o'clock.

When Jackie had stepped out of her car, Dimitri did the same and approached her. "Hello, I'm Officer Alexander. Are you Jackie? Fionn talked to you about thirty minutes ago about allowing me to look at the security footage again".

This was his first time meeting Jackie even though he had viewed the security footage from the night Cairo had been abducted. Dimitri saw the footage at the police department after Ren had downloaded the footage.

Jackie smiled and nodded her head, "I am, it's nice to meet you. Follow me".

Jackie unlocked the door to the club and lead Dimitri to her office. She made a bit of small talk on the way, but it died down when they were standing in front of the small TV that displayed various camera angles.

"I'll leave you to it," Jackie said, "take as long as you need".

Dimitri thanked her and once she left, he began to look through the video footage of the past two months. It was a bit time consuming because Dimitri had to watch a lot of people come and go from the club. He was thankful Jackie had invested in expensive cameras because the footage was high quality. Not one single person was blurry so Dimitri was able to see their facial features well. The man sat up straighter when he took notice of Elijah being carded so he could enter the club. Dimitri switched to a different camera angle and was able to see Elijah milling about inside Club Fahrenheit before making his way to the bar.

Dimitri decided to click onto the footage that would show him the parking lot of the club. He rewinded the video and zoomed in on the car Ren had identified as Elijah's. It took Dimitri having to move the video frame by frame to finally get a good enough visual of the license plate on the car. Dimitri used his phone to take a picture of it and immediately texted the picture to Ren. Dimitri added on a message to the picture.

This is the license plate on Elijah's car. Can you look it up in the system? I'll be there in a few minutes.

Ren texted back immediately with a yes.

"Thank you for letting me view the footage again," Dimitri said when he had walked into the front portion of club. Jackie looked at Dimitri from where she was behind the bar.

"Of course, it's a shame what happened to that young man," Jackie said as she wiped down the bar top. "I can't believe it happened at my own establishment. I've since fixed the alarm system for that backdoor. I had no idea it had stopped working until I had been told someone was abducted. I hope you find him, officer".

Dimitri smiled as best he could and replied, "thank you, I hope I find him as well. Have a good rest of your day, ma'am".

"You too".

Dimitri walked out of the club and to his car. He drove to the police department and when he walked into the building, he took notice of a few of his coworkers moving hastily.

"What's going on?" Dimitri asked when he entered the investigation room.

Ren looked at him from where she was circling a location on the map with a red marker. She looked like she was in a rush and Dimitri could feel his heartbeat beginning to pick up.

"We know where Elijah lives, or at least we know the address that he registered his car to".

"Did someone tell Captain Hutchinson?"

Ren nodded her head at Dimitri's next question, "yes, I did. He's sending out a unit right now. He's contacted an EMT and we've got an ambulance en route. We're not sure if it's where Cairo is located, but he's sending one with the unit just in case he is".

"I'll be back," Dimitri said as he turned around and left the room. Just as he did so, his phone began to vibrate from where it was in his pants pocket. Dimitri pulled it out and when he took notice of who was calling, he answered the phone.

"I can't talk right now, Seven," Dimitri said before promptly hanging up.

He walked quickly to the meeting room and wasn't surprised to see the police unit being briefed by Captain Hutchinson.

"I don't know if Elijah Hall will be there, but if he is, approach with caution. I want him brought back here alive, but if you absolutely have to kill him, don't hesitate. Keep a look out for Cairo Jones as Detective Adachi thinks he could potentially be somewhere on the property. I have trust in you all, you are dismissed".

Dimitri approached Captain Hutchinson as the officers all quickly left the room.

"You need to stay here," Captain Hutchinson stated as soon as he laid eyes on Dimitri. "You have too close of a relationship to Cairo and you shouldn't be there. You're still injured as well and I doubt you'll be able to keep up if things were to escalate".

"Captain, I have to be there," Dimitri said, "there's no way I'm not going".

"There is because I just told you that you aren't," Captain Hutchinson replied sternly, he shook his head. "Don't be difficult, Dimitri, please. Don't make this harder than it has to be. You've never given me any problems before".

"I've never given you any problems before because I've never had a reason to. I have a reason now though and it's Cairo. He could be on the property and if he is then I need to be there. I'm going to be there," Dimitri said as he turned away to walk to the door.

"Officer Alexander, I gave you an order," Captain Hutchinson stated. Dimitri could tell by the man's voice that he was angry. "If you disobey it then I will be forced to write you up which could lead to your termination".

Dimitri nodded his head to show that he comprehended his captain's words. "Okay, I understand. You'll just have to write me up then".

Dimitri walked out of the room and on the way to the front of the building, he passed by the investigation room. Dimitri decided he didn't have time to stop and say anything to Ren, so he didn't. Ren saw Dimitri pass by the room; however, so she took it upon herself to jog to the door and pop her head out into the hallway.

"Dimitri!" She called, watching the man continue to quickly walk down the hallway. She knew where the man was going and she didn't need him to acknowledge her as she continued to speak. "Please, be careful".


	36. Chapter Thirty-Six

There were so many things Cairo wished he had gotten the chance to say to Dimitri, Fionn, and Seven. He had been able to say some of those things before he had been kidnapped, but the longer he stayed in the bunker, the more new things he came up with. Cairo wished he had a piece of paper and pen so he could've written it all down in order for him to keep track. He didn't though, so all he could do was rely on his thoughts. If he had the opportunity to see the men one last time, Cairo knew exactly what he would say to each and every single one of them.

Cairo would've told Seven that he was happy to have met him. He would've admitted to the man that he had been nervous at first, but that he was ultimately glad. He would've said seeing him interact with Fionn made him smile. He was pleased to know Fionn was able to find someone who made him laugh and was able to keep up with his happy go lucky personality. Cairo would've asked Seven to always treat Fionn with respect and to please always take care of him. He hoped Seven would one day take a trip to Ireland to meet Fionn's parents because he just knew Jack and Alaina O'Connell would be so happy to meet him. He wanted to tell Seven to make sure he kept a close eye on Dimitri because Cairo wasn't sure how the older man would take the news.

If Cairo had been able to, he would've told Fionn to not let Seven go. Cairo could see it when Fionn smiled just a little brighter and laughed just a bit louder when he was around. He would've told Fionn that he had never seen him so happy, and that was a pretty big deal because Fionn was usually always happy. Cairo was grateful for Fionn. He didn't know who he would be if he hadn't have met him while he was still in college. He wanted to let Fionn know that he was thankful for Fionn accepting him with open arms. The redhead hadn't made fun of him and he was the first person that Cairo eventually felt very comfortable around. Cairo would've made sure to tell Fionn not to cry too much when he was eventually told the news.

The first thing Cairo would've told Dimitri is 'thank you'. He would've thanked the man for showing him what it felt like to be happy. He would've told Dimitri that being with him was the happiest he had ever been in his life. Dimitri made him smile more than anyone else ever had. The older man made him feel something deep within himself and that feeling was love. Cairo loved Dimitri so much. He had never felt such an intense feeling of love with anyone else other than Dimitri. Cairo would've thanked Dimitri for teaching him to love his body. Cairo had never been fond of it before meeting Dimitri. The man had taught him that touching himself was something that was okay and felt good. Dimitri also taught Cairo that sex could feel great if you were doing it with the right person.

Dimitri had been the right person for Cairo and he was so grateful to have found him. Cairo would've told Dimitri to take care of Mabel even though he knew that wasn't even something he really needed to tell the other man. Cairo wanted to tell Dimitri that it was okay to be sad about what had happened to him. He didn't want Dimitri to be sad for too long though, and he would've told Dimitri to take care of himself and to not let the news destroy him. He would've told Dimitri that he wouldn't be angry if he moved on. Cairo actually encouraged him to because the last thing Cairo wanted was for Dimitri to be alone.

Cairo wasn't able to say any of those things to Seven, Fionn, or Dimitri, and that had pained him immensely. Cairo hoped it was things they already knew, so they wouldn't go their whole lives not knowing. He was glad they had each other to rely on and he had been positive that they would be there for one another during the dark times that would ultimately come. There were many different things Cairo had wished for. He wished things could've ended differently; he wished he could've held on for a just little longer. He wished he could've been able to relay the information that Elijah hadn't been the one to kill him. Cairo wanted to be the one to let everyone know that he had taken his own life.

Cairo didn't want Elijah to have the satisfaction of knowing he had killed him. Cairo wanted to be in control of one last thing before he died because he knew Elijah was planning on killing him soon. He saw it in the way Elijah looked at him and the things the man said to him. Cairo refused to just sit around and wait for it to happen, so he took it upon himself to do it. Cairo wanted to take the opportunity away from Elijah, and so he did.

After Elijah had beaten, choked, and raped Cairo, he had left the younger man to lay helpless on the cold, concrete floor. That moment had been the breaking point for Cairo and he had decided that he couldn't take it any longer. Cairo had decided he'd had enough and it pained him to admit it. He had been trying to stay strong for Elijah, Seven, and Dimitri, but there was just so much he could take.

Cairo began to section off a portion of his food every time Elijah would come to the bunker and give him another meal. He was able to hide the food underneath the bed because Elijah never looked there. Cairo had no idea which foods contained whatever drug Elijah was giving him, so he made sure to section off plenty. When he figured he had collected enough, he gathered the food in his arms and sat down on the bed. He proceeded to eat it all and it didn't take very long for him to begin to feel the effects of the drug. He laid down on his side and stared at the wall on the other side of the room as he waited for the drug to kick in. If he was correct, he knew it wouldn't be long before he would begin to experience an overdose.

As Cairo was waiting for his end to come, Dimitri was speeding down the highway in his patrol car with his lights and siren on. He was following behind the other patrol cars and eyed his GPS to see how long it would take them to get to Elijah's address. Dimitri may have just potentially lost his job, but at the moment he didn't really care. The man didn't think he would ever care actually. If he lost his job then he lost his job. Dimitri loved being a police officer but he loved Cairo more. He needed to be at Elijah's address just in case Cairo was there too.

The address Dimitri was going to was on the outskirts of the city. If it had been just a few more miles out then it would've been in the neighboring city instead. When Dimitri noticed the scenery slowly change from the highway to a residential neighborhood, he picked up his radio and spoke to the other officers.

"Kill your sirens," he demanded, "we don't want to attract attention".

The sirens of the other patrol cars were turned off and they drove silently through the neighborhood streets. With Dimitri and the other officers taking the highway and speeding, they got to the address in just under fifteen minutes. The house looked like any ordinary house that you would see in a neighborhood. The lawn was well kept and the house didn't look dingy or rundown. Dimitri noticed the car in the driveway and he immediately recognized it as the one Elijah had been driving in the security footage.

"I want Smith to stay put in the front, Johnson and I will go up to the door," Officer Anderson said. He was one of the three officers that Captain Hutchinson had sent to the address. Officer Anderson eyed Dimitri with confusion, "are you even supposed to be here right now?"

"It doesn't matter, I'm here. I'll take the back," Dimitri said.

He walked to the back of the house when Officer Johnson and Officer Anderson began to make their way to the door. Dimitri had his gun in his hand; he was ready to shoot if he had to. He swept the empty backyard with his eyes. All that was there was tall grass and a shed, and there was a ladder propped up against the side of the shed. Dimitri walked around the backyard as he paid attention to the back of house. He had to be ready for if Elijah tried to slip out the back door.

Dimitri was too busy watching the house to notice the slightly raised hatch door. He tripped over it and muttered a curse word as he stumbled to keep himself from falling. When he was stable on his feet again, Dimitri looked down at the ground. He pushed away the leaves and grass that was covering the hatch door and stared at it for just a moment before he was moving again.

Aiming his gun at the latch of the hatch door, Dimitri avoided shooting the padlock itself. Instead, he shot near the link of chain and he did it twice because the bullet didn't break through the link the first time. Dimitri holstered his gun and knelt down to quickly remove the broken link of chain. When he was able to, he lifted up the door and ignored the way his ribs ached in protest. Dimitri stared down into the bunker and licked his lips in anticipation.

"Cairo," he said, his voice was loud but wavering. Dimitri thought he could hear something, but he wasn't completely sure what it was. The man wondered for just a second how he was going to get into the bunker. He figured he would just have to jump down, but he worried about how he would get out. He turned his head and remembered the ladder. Moving quickly, he ran over and grabbed it and carried it back to the door. Once he had guided the ladder down into the bunker and hooked it over the lifted edge of the door, he began to climb down.

Dimitri had thought about how he wanted to find Cairo when the time finally came. He wanted the younger man to be harm free. He wanted to find Cairo looking just as he had when Dimitri had last seen him in person. Dimitri wanted Cairo to be physically okay, but that's not what Dimitri received at all. Instead he got a severely bruised Cairo whose body looked thin and his skin pale.

Dimitri didn't have time to examine just how extensive Cairo's injuries were and he knew this. He approached Cairo quickly and with every step closer, Dimitri could tell something wasn't right.

"Cairo," Dimitri said the younger man's name and took in the vomit that was near Cairo's mouth. When he didn't get a response, Dimitri quickly checked for a pulse. It was very faint and if Dimitri hadn't been concentrating hard enough, he would've thought Cairo hadn't been breathing at all. "Baby".

Dimitri had to get the chain from around Cairo's ankle and he winced at having to meticulously slide it off. It was around the younger man quite tightly and Dimitri knew it had to have hurt coming off. Dimitri briefly worried that he had injured Cairo with the way the links scraped against his skin. Cairo was so out of it though that he didn't even acknowledge his limb being freed.

Dimitri lifted Cairo up from the bed and listened to him groan weakly. Dimitri fought from groaning himself at the discomfort that came with carrying Cairo's weight. Dimitri had been told not to lift anything over ten pounds. Cairo weighed far more than ten pounds and his ribs could easily tell. It was a struggle for Dimitri to climb up the ladder and keep Cairo secured on his shoulder. Dimitri nearly dropped Cairo twice and for a moment he thought about just waiting for help.

He couldn't do that though because Cairo was overdosing on some sort of drug and he needed to get to a hospital immediately. Ignoring the pain, Dimitri climbed up the ladder with Cairo hanging over his shoulder. He carefully hoisted Cairo up and out of the bunker first and followed after the younger man.

Dimitri took a deep breath and muttered another curse word as he worked to catch his breath. He could feel himself getting annoyed with himself. If his ribs weren't fractured, he would be able to easily get Cairo to the front of the house. Dimitri went to pick Cairo up off of the ground and just as he did so, he heard a loud noise and Officer Anderson screaming.

"Dimitri, watch your back!"

Dimitri had been so focused on Cairo that he hadn't been watching his surroundings. He had easily forgotten about the threat of Elijah and as he turned around he realized that he was in trouble. Elijah was running right towards him and he was now just five feet away. Dimitri didn't have time to grab his gun from his holster because Elijah was immediately on him. The air had been knocked out of Dimitri as Elijah tackled him to the ground.

"Fuck!" Dimitri screamed in pain at the feeling of his fractured rib breaking from the impact of Elijah's body. The pain consumed Dimitri and he immediately felt like he was either going to pass out or throw up from it. Elijah was still on top of him and he struggled to get the man off.

Dimitri could hear the other officer shouting, but he had no idea what exactly was being said. "Take the..." Dimitri wheezed and wondered why his chest felt so tight, "take the shot".

The man had no idea if Officer Anderson could do it without hitting him, but Dimitri didn't care. He just needed Elijah off of him and as long as Cairo wasn't in harm's way of the bullet, nothing else mattered. Dimitri heard a loud popping noise and he felt Elijah's body drop down on him more as the man screamed from being shot.

Dimitri couldn't get Elijah off of him on his own, so he was grateful for when Officer Anderson pulled Elijah off of him. Dimitri rolled over onto his side and didn't bother hiding the tears that were appearing in his eyes. He was dazed as he struggled to breathe and he had the suspicion that something other than his rib had been injured. Dimitri had found out his suspicion had been correct when he felt the need to cough. He did so and groaned at the sight of his blood coating the blades of grass by his face.

Dimitri could hear Officer Johnson shouting for the paramedics and the man craned his neck to see what was happening around him. When one of the medics approached Dimitri, he motioned to Cairo who was still laying upon the ground in an unconscious state.

"Him first," Dimitri whispered before coughing up more blood.

"The other EMT is going to take care of him, I promise".

Dimitri didn't have it in him to argue, so he just nodded his head and grimaced at the ache in his chest. Everything was a blur to the man as he tried to concentrate on breathing. Dimitri felt lightheaded and he closed his eyes when he felt himself being lifted from off the ground. Watching the world move around him was surely going to cause the man to vomit, so he made sure to keep his eyes shut.

Dimitri didn't open them again until he was on a stable surface. When he opened his eyes he realized he had been placed in the back of an ambulance. He was laying on the bench of the ambulance. Dimitri knew that Captain Hutchinson had only sent one to the location, so when he turned his head, Dimitri hadn't been surprised to see Cairo on a stretcher.

What did surprise Dimitri though, was seeing one of the paramedics doing chest compressions on the younger man. Dimitri wanted to know what was going on and why Cairo needed chest compressions. Was he not breathing?

"Is he breathing?" Dimitri asked worriedly, he tried to sit up but couldn't. The pain was too much for him to handle. "Is he breathing?"

"We're doing the best we can, officer," the medic who wasn't concentrating on doing chest compressions spoke to Dimitri. "I just need you to relax".

Dimitri couldn't relax. He wanted to ask the paramedic how he was supposed to do such a thing, but Dimitri could feel himself beginning to freak out. He began to feel lightheaded again as his breathing picked up and not enough oxygen was able to reach his brain. With every breath in, his chest ached and his anxiety rose.

Dimitri figured he was going to pass out when he began to develop tunnel vision and the noises around him began to fade. The man was afraid to lose consciousness because he knew Cairo currently wasn't breathing. He was terrified of waking up to the news that Cairo had passed away while he had been unconscious. There was nothing Dimitri could do though as his eyelids grew heavy and eventually closed. The last thing he was able to do before passing out was plead to God that Cairo was going to make it.


	37. Chapter Thirty-Seven

Before Cairo had lost consciousness, he had began to hallucinate. When he had still been down in the bunker and he was just beginning to overdose, Cairo's brain had began to compose images that Cairo thought were real. The man hallucinated Seven and Fionn and as Cairo watched the two interact, he had wondered where Dimitri was. Cairo's brain had eventually worked up an image of Dimitri and the boy figured that at least he would be able to see Dimitri one last time before he died.

Cairo hadn't suspected the Dimitri he had been seeing to not be a hallucination until he actually had the older man's fingers on his skin. He hadn't been able to speak, but if he had, he would've told Dimitri how happy he was to see him. Cairo didn't remember anything after Dimitri had picked him up from the bed. He'd lost consciousness then and hadn't been able to witness the events that occurred next.

Cairo certainly thought he was going to die when he overdosed, so he was very confused when he began to wake up. Cairo waking up was a slow process, he felt severely groggy as his eyes opened and closed every few minutes. His limbs felt like they weighed a ton and he couldn't get past the feeling of his body being sore. Cairo could feel his heartbeat pick up when he truly comprehended what failing his overdose meant. Cairo wasn't one hundred percent certain that Dimitri hadn't been a hallucination, so he was afraid that he was indeed still trapped in the bunker.

Opening his eyes for good this time, Cairo took a moment to look around the room. He saw no concrete walls or floor, instead he saw white walls and laminated flooring. There were two chairs in the corner of the room and a TV mounted to the wall across from him. There was a window to his right and from where he was laying in the bed, he could see other nearby buildings. Cairo used his fingers to carefully feel the blanket that was covering his body and he looked down at the mask that was covering his nose and mouth. He could just see the top of it, but he could feel the elastic strap going around his head to keep it secure and in place. Cairo stared at the IV that was inserted into the back of his hand and he listened to the steady beeping of the vital monitor that was off to his right.

Cairo began to openly sob a few seconds later when he realized he hadn't been hallucinating. He did see Dimitri and the man had got him out of the bunker. Cairo was in the hospital; he had been saved. Cairo wasn't aware of how loud he was crying until a nurse was rushing into the room. She looked slightly frantic and immediately began to look him over with her eyes.

"Are you in pain?" She asked, "you're not supposed to be in pain".

Sniffling, Cairo struggled to get himself under control. Once he had quieted down, he shook his head, "I feel okay, I just didn't think I was going to make it out alive. How did I get here?"

The nurse approached Cairo and began to check his vitals, as she did so, she spoke. "I'm not quite sure, I was just assigned to be your nurse. I'm sorry I can't answer your question".

Shaking his head a little, Cairo replied, "it's okay". He looked at the nurse, "what's your name?"

"It's Melissa, I've been taking care of you ever since you've been admitted. This is the first time you've been conscious enough to hold a conversation with me. You've been waking up every so often, but you were too drugged out to know it. You've been here for about six hours".

Cairo nodded his head in understanding, but he didn't speak.

"Is there anything I can get you? An extra blanket or another pillow? Are you thirsty? I can get you water if you'd like".

"Water would be nice, please," Cairo requested, "thank you".

He watched as Melissa left the room and quickly returned with a cold cup of water. She helped Cairo remove his oxygen mask and asked if he would like it switched to a nasal cannula instead. When he had told her 'yes', she went about switching it out for him. Once Cairo had his nasal cannula and didn't currently need anything else, Melissa spoke.

"I'll let Dr. Paxton know you're awake and he'll come in and let you know about your condition".

"Okay".

When he was alone again, Cairo tried to his best to remember what had happened. He couldn't remember anything after Dimitri had lifted him from the bed. He wished he could because it was a bit unsettling to not know what had happened afterwards. He had no idea if Dimitri had run into Elijah or not, or if Elijah had been caught and arrested. There were a lot of questions he needed answers to, and he wasn't sure when he was going to be able to get them.

A man walked into the room then and immediately introduced himself, "I'm Dr. Paxton, it's nice to see that you're awake. Your vitals are looking better than I expected them to".

"Are they supposed to be bad?" Cairo asked.

"Well I wouldn't have been surprised if they were, but it's good that they aren't. How do you feel? Do you remember anything?"

"I still feel really tired and like I can barely move my hands and arms," Cairo admitted, "and I only remember being found. I don't know what happened after that".

"Okay," Dr. Paxton nodded his head, "the fatigue and loss of motor skills is to be expected, so that's nothing to worry about. They'll get worse as time progresses and you'll begin to feel other symptoms of withdrawal as well".

"I'm going through withdrawal?" Cairo asked, "from what?" Cairo wasn't sure if Dr. Paxton knew that he had been abducted or not. "I know Elijah was giving me some sort of drug, but I never was able to figure out what exactly it was".

"Let's start from the beginning for when you were first admitted. We had you in the ICU for an overdose on ketamine. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic, we use it here in the hospital a lot for starting and maintaining anesthesia. It's known to cause a trance-like state and induces pain relief, sedation, and memory loss. It can be used as a date-rape drug as well, which is how I believe it was being used on you. Your captor gave you too much and triggered an overdose".

"I took too much," Cairo murmured, "on purpose. I was... I was trying to kill myself. Elijah was putting it in my food and I hid some of the food away. I ate it all at once because I knew it was going to be too much. I wanted... I wanted to kill myself because I couldn't handle being abducted any longer. I thought I was going to die".

It was quiet for a moment before Dr. Paxton spoke, "you did".

Cairo looked at the doctor in confusion, but he didn't speak. Dr. Paxton continued on, "your heart stopped once while you were in the ambulance. It nearly stopped again when you were in the ICU. The nurses put up quite the effort to keep you stable and alive. You're very lucky that your heart only stopped for a few seconds or else you would've developed brain damage".

Cairo shook his head in disbelief. When Cairo purposefully overdosed, he had been meaning to die. Hearing that he had, even for just a few seconds, was still surprising news to him. He wasn't sure on what he should say, so he didn't say anything.

Dr. Paxton watched him for a moment, "your withdrawal symptoms are going to worsen. The first three days are going to be the hardest. Your body has become accustomed to having ketamine in its system. As the ketamine makes it way out, your body isn't going to like it. You may experience some of these symptoms: agitation, confusion, psychosis, loss of motor skills, rage, nausea, decrease in respiratory and cardiac functions, insomnia, shakes, hearing loss, fatigue, and possibly cognitive impairment. I want to keep you here for the first three days so I can keep an eye on your lungs and heart".

Slowly, Cairo nodded his head. He felt like he was in a daze as he listened to the doctor list off all of the withdrawal symptoms. Cairo was a bit scared to go through those things, but he was ultimately happy to be alive.

"Okay, I'll leave you alone to rest now".

Cairo watched as the man walked to the door, before he could leave the room though, Cairo remembered something. "Oh, hold on, please!" When Dr. Paxton had turned to face Cairo, the younger man continued to speak, "when are visiting hours?"

"They're from eleven in the morning to five in the afternoon. You haven't missed the end time, but unfortunately you aren't allowed visitors at the moment. Your body isn't ready yet for visitors. I suspect it will be tomorrow".

"Okay," Cairo said, he was a bit disappointed at having to miss today's visiting hours because he knew there were people wanting to see him. He was curious as to what Dimitri, Seven, and Fionn were doing. Cairo wasn't able to get in contact with them because he didn't have his phone. He had no idea what became of it after he had been kidnapped by Elijah.

Cairo could feel himself growing tired again and he lowered the bed down so he was no longer in an upright position. He found falling asleep to happen quickly and as he did so, he thought about what was to happen next.

Just as Cairo was falling asleep, Dimitri was waking up from his surgery. Once Dimitri had lost consciousness in the ambulance, the paramedics had given him oxygen and assisted in helping him breathe. After arriving to the hospital and receiving an x-ray, Dimitri had been rushed off to the operating room. His x-ray had shown a broken rib and a punctured lung. There was air and blood in his chest where it shouldn't have been and Dimitri had needed a tube to be inserted into his chest via incision in order to get both the air and blood out.

"You're such a fucking idiot," was the first thing Dimitri heard when he had fully opened his eyes. He knew the voice all too well and wasn't surprised when he saw Seven glaring at him from where he was sitting in a chair.

"What makes you say that?" Dimitri asked, his voice soft as he awkwardly cleared his throat.

Seven scoffed and shook his head at Dimitri's question. "Do you know how fucking scared I was when I found out you were in the hospital? You blew me off when I called you the first time and wouldn't answer your phone after that. I thought you were dead".

"Hmm," Dimitri hummed before smiling softly, "you love me".

"I've known you for twenty-six years, of course, I do," Seven responded. He shook his head again and looked at Dimitri with worry. "What happened?"

Dimitri tried to take a deep breath but he found it difficult to do so. "Ren found Elijah's address and Captain Hutchinson sent out officers to the property. I went along and surveyed the backyard. There was a hatch door that led to an underground bunker. Cairo was there a-" Dimitri cut himself off by immediately asking, "where's Cairo? Is he alright?"

Seven stood up and quickly placed his hands on top of Dimitri's legs that were covered by a blanket when he realized his friend was going to try and get up. Dimitri grunted at the action but Seven frowned.

"You need to take it easy, alright? Cairo is okay. He's alive, he's two floors above you in his own room".

Dimitri felt relief after hearing Seven's words. He settled down even though he was now desperate to see the younger man in person. He eyed the unfamiliar machine beside him and the tube that was leading into his chest.

"I got Cairo out of the bunker and afterwards Elijah had tackled me. He broke my rib, I felt it. I was coughing up blood because something happened to my lung, I think," Dimitri explained.

Seven nodded, "your doctor said your broken rib punctured your lung. You had air and blood in your chest and they took you into surgery to insert a tube so that they can both drain out. That's what the machine is for".

Dimitri nodded his head just a bit, it took him a while to speak. When he did, he asked, "did you see Cairo yet?"

"No, he's not allowed visitors at the moment".

"How come?"

"I was told by a nurse that his doctor doesn't want him around other people at the moment due to his heart and lungs. Too many emotions may cause Cairo to get overwhelmed and they don't want to risk anything". Seven sighed in slight disbelief, "I can't believe we got him back".

Dimitri shook his head, "me neither".

Throughout the whole investigation, Dimitri had been trying his best to keep his hopes up. He had been determined to find Cairo, but with his recurring nightmares, it had been hard to stay positive all of the time. There were times where Dimitri hadn't thought they were going to find Cairo alive. It felt good knowing Cairo was out of harm's way when it came to Elijah.

"I'm surprised your captain let you go to Elijah's address. I would've thought since you had a close relationship with Cairo, you wouldn't have been allowed to go," Seven murmured absentmindedly.

Dimitri gave his friend a sheepish smile, "about that... I think I'm going to lose my job".

"What?" Seven asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"I hadn't been given permission to go. Captain Hutchinson said if I went then he would write me up and I may be terminated. I haven't spoken to him yet, so I'm not sure what'll happen. Regardless of what ends up happening though, I don't regret what I did, Seven. I've said this before and I'll say it again, Cairo means more to me than my job".

"I understand, I feel the same way with Fionn".

"Speaking of Fionn, where is he?"

"He went to the cafeteria just before you woke up. He said he needed to occupy himself with something or else he'd go mad. He's dying to see Cairo, I don't think he's going to believe that he's here until he sees Cairo with his own eyes".

"I don't blame him," Dimitri replied.

"Where's Elijah?" Seven asked, it was a question he had really been meaning to ask.

"I don't know, I know he was shot. He may be somewhere in the hospital actually".

"Did he say anything to you before tackling you?"

"No, he just tackled me and broke my rib".

Seven smirked, "did you cry?"

Dimitri rolled his eyes, "just a little, it really fucking hurt".

While Seven snickered into the palm of his hand, Dimitri shook his head. "You're an asshole".

"I can laugh about it now that I know you're okay," Seven said honestly. "I'm really glad you and Cairo are okay".

"I am too," Dimitri agreed,

Seven spent the rest of the visiting hours with Dimitri, and Fionn eventually joined them as well. Dimitri couldn't help feeling guilty for having both Seven and Fionn with him when he knew just two floors up Cairo was alone. He wanted so desperately to see Cairo conscious, and he knew the second he was able to leave his hospital bed and visit Cairo, he would. For now though, Dimitri just had to wait as patiently as he could.


	38. Chapter Thirty-Eight

Dr. Paxton had been right when it came to Cairo feeling various withdrawal sypmtoms. Cairo had dealt with insomnia throughout the night and it annoyed him because he was tired. He was so tired but he just couldn't fall asleep and stay asleep. He kept waking up throughout the night as he tossed and turned in his hospital bed. By the time morning came around, Cairo felt severely agitated and wasn't in the mood to talk.

"Good morning, Cairo," Melissa greeted as she walked into the room. It was eight in the morning and Melissa was making her rounds to check on patients. "I hope you slept well last night".

"Morning," Cairo muttered, he didn't bother to spare her a glance as he continued to stare out of the window. "I slept like shit actually".

"Did you? I'm sorry to hear that, I can talk to Dr. Paxton and see if there's anything that can be done about that so it hopefully won't happen again tonight".

Cairo nodded his head to let her know it would be appreciated if she did. He brought his hand up to his mouth and began to carefully bite at the nail on his thumb.

Melissa checked Cairo's vitals and as she did so, she began to make small talk. Cairo didn't want to talk to her though, so he only gave one word responses. He could feel himself getting more and more agitated with every new word the nurse spoke and he tried his best to stay calm. Her voice got to be too much for his ears when she laughed at a little joke she'd just made.

Cairo glared at her and frowned, "can you please shut the fuck up?"

Melissa's eyes widened in shock and since she didn't know what to say, she just carefully nodded her head. Cairo could see the brief hurt in her eyes and his frown dissipated as he slowly shook his head. He could feel his eyes beginning to well up with tears and he sucked in a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry, that was... That was really mean," Cairo apologized. "I shouldn't have said that to you. It's the withdrawal symptoms, I'm having a really hard time dealing with them. That doesn't give me an excuse though. I really am sorry".

Melissa cooed and offered Cairo a reassuring smile, "it's alright, I understand. I've had worse said to me, trust me. What you said was on the milder side so don't stress. How about we just keep talking to a minimum for now and you can let me know when you want to speak, alright?"

Nodding, Cairo sniffled and wiped at his face, "okay".

Cairo couldn't believe how rude he had just been to Melissa. Even though she told him that it was alright, Cairo knew it wasn't. He knew better than to speak to someone so rudely. Just because he was going through withdrawal gave him no right to act so cruelly.

"Are you ready for breakfast?" Melissa asked quietly.

"Yes, please," Cairo whispered.

"Okay, I'll be back in just a moment".

Cairo watched her leave the room and the man went from biting at his nails to scratching at his wrist. He felt antsy and Cairo wondered if that had to do with the withdrawal as well. He stared down at the clear bruises on his wrist and shook his head at the memory of Elijah gripping them too hard. Cairo had bruises all over his body, some were fresh while others were just a few more days away from healing completely. The entire time Cairo had been in the hospital, he had only been looking out of one eye. His right eye was still a bit swollen from when Elijah had punched him there. He had earned a busted lip when he had talked back to Elijah just days ago and Cairo was positive he had some sort of damage to his anus.

Elijah hadn't been kind to Cairo, anyone would be able to tell by the way Cairo looked. The man had always been on the lankier side, but he was now thinner than he should be for his age and height. Elijah had only been feeding Cairo enough food to keep him alive. Cairo needed to gain back the weight he had lost while he was in captivity.

Melissa came back into the room with a tray. On the tray was a sealed cup of orange juice, a covered plate of food, and a small paper cup that had pills in it. Cairo knew the pills were meant to prevent him from contracting sexual diseases from Elijah. Dr. Paxton was aware that Cairo had been raped multiple times and he had the man immediately begin taking the pills as a precaution. Before Cairo had been able to call it a day yesterday, a sexual assault nurse examiner had administered a sexual assault forensic exam.

The examiner had asked Cairo to explain in as much detail as possible what Elijah had done to him. It took Cairo some time to lay out everything Elijah had done due Cairo having to stop because he had begun to cry. The examiner had been patient with him because she was aware of how difficult it was to have to recount such trauma. After she had gotten the entirety of Elijah's doings, she proceeded to give Cairo a head-to-toe examination. This included internal examinations of Cairo's mouth and anus. She had to take samples of Cairo's blood, urine, swabs of the surface of his skin, and his hair. The last thing she did was bag up all of Cairo's clothing and take pictures of his naked body so his bruises and injuries would all be documented.

It had been quite the experience for Cairo and once he had been given permission to shower, the man had. Cairo had cried in the shower because even though he knew the examination was meant to help him, he felt humiliated. It was embarrassing having pictures of his injured body taken, but he hadn't protested because he wanted there to be as much evidence as possible. The more evidence there was, the more likely Elijah would get a longer prison sentence. A longer prison sentence was exactly what the man deserved the most.

"You have eggs, two sausage links, a piece of toast, and two waffles," Melissa explained as she set the tray onto the bedside table. She pulled it closer to Cairo so he would be able to reach the food and eat comfortably. "You also have orange juice to drink".

"Thank you," Cairo said, "I appreciate you being nice to me even though I was really mean to you just a few moments ago".

"Cairo, it's alright, really. I wouldn't have become a nurse if I thought I wouldn't have to deal with patients having rough moments. I understand, don't stress. You need to take this time to relax".

Cairo nodded his head and after Melissa had left, he carefully removed the cover off of his plate. The food looked good, but the longer he stared at it, the more nauseas he could feel himself becoming. Cairo couldn't understand why he felt like he could be sick. The man was hungry, he could barely remember the last time he had eaten. Cairo decided to fight against the nausea and eat anyway.

The food was just as good as it had looked. It was so much better than what Elijah had been feeding him. Cairo had managed to eat it all and just as he was beginning to settle in and relax, he felt his stomach churn. His mouth began to water as he felt the need to vomit. Cairo couldn't ignore the nausea like he had done moments ago, so he was forced to get up and scurry to the en suite bathroom.

He puked up the breakfast he had just finished eating and began to cry in frustration. It hadn't even been a full twenty-four hours of him dealing with withdrawal symptoms and Cairo was already completely over it. He returned to the bed and used a napkin to dry his tears. Dr. Paxton decided to pay Cairo a visit at that moment and he eyed the younger man curiously.

"Good morning, are you alright?"

"No, I feel really angry and I threw up my breakfast because I'm nauseous," Cairo answered as he massaged his temples with his fingers. "I didn't sleep very well last night either".

"I'm sorry to hear that, I can give you some medicine for your nausea if you'd like".

"Yes, please".

"I'll set you up so you can get another meal of breakfast after you've taken the medicine," Dr. Paxton explained. He eyed Cairo's vital monitor and smiled softly when he liked what he saw.

"Can I have visitors today?" Cairo asked quietly.

"You can," Dr. Paxton replied, "but the second you get too worked up your visitors may have to leave".

"Okay".

Even though Cairo was having a rough start to his day, he was pleased that he was able to have visitors. He was looking forward to seeing Seven and Fionn, and especially Dimitri. Cairo had to eat his second breakfast and wait for visiting hours to begin in order to see them. There was no doubt in Cairo's mind that they wouldn't show up, so he wasn't surprised when there was a soft knock on the door.

Watching Fionn walk into the room and seeing the way his green eyes immediately became glossy with tears made Cairo want to start crying too. Cairo could tell Fionn was having a hard time looking at him and he understood because Cairo knew that he didn't look his best.

"Hi, mate," Fionn spoke, his voice wavering.

"Hi," Cairo motioned for him to come closer because Fionn was standing a few feet away. He looked like he was afraid to touch Cairo. Cairo hadn't really been touched too much since he'd been admitted into the hospital, so he wasn't sure how he would react to it yet.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Fionn said as he moved closer. He gave Cairo a hug and continued speaking, "I've been so scared and I'm missed you so much".

"I've missed you too," Cairo replied, he looked to Seven who had quietly entered the room just a moment ago. "Hi, Seven".

"Hey, Cairo, I'm really glad to see that you're back," Seven said sincerely. "Things haven't been the same without you".

Cairo smiled a bit but began to coo when he heard Fionn sniffle. "Fionn," Cairo murmured.

"This is the only time you get to make me cry," Fionn stated as he took a step back and wiped at his eyes. "I was so afraid of you dying".

"Apparently I did," Cairo said, "for just a few seconds though. The doctor said my heart stopped in the ambulance".

"Oh, God," Fionn shook his head, "you shouldn't have told me that".

Seven looked at Cairo and asked, "do you remember anything?"

"Not much, I just remember Dimitri finding me, but anything after that I wasn't conscious for..." Cairo trailed off as he eyed the door to his room. He had been expecting to see Dimitri too, so he was confused as to where the man currently was. "Where's Dimitri?"

"Don't freak out," Seven began, "but Dimitri had to be admitted into the hospital too. He broke one of his ribs and it punctured his lung. He had to get surgery and a tube was inserted into his chest so the blood and air could drain out".

Seven motioned with his hands for Cairo to calm down when he saw the way the younger man's eyes had gone wide and his mouth had opened in surprise.

"Dimitri's fine, I promise. Fionn and I visited him yesterday and he was awake and talking. He really wants to see you but he just can't get out of bed yet because he's connected to the machine for his chest tube".

"I..." Cairo wasn't sure on what he wanted to say, "what was he even doing there? His fractured rib hadn't healed yet, he should've been resting".

Cairo made sure to figure out just how long he had been missing. He knew Dimitri's fractured rib was still healing because Cairo had been gone for two weeks. Dimitri was supposed to have one more week of healing, but Cairo was sure that had changed while he had been missing. Cairo suspected Dimitri hadn't been taking it very easy while he was searching for him.

"We all know Dimitri wasn't going to miss the opportunity to find you. He disobeyed his captain and went to Elijah's house. It might cost him his job".

Cairo shook his head, "what even... How did he break it?"

"Apparently Elijah tackled him pretty hard and broke his rib".

"Oh my God," Cairo murmured, he shook his head again. "Can I see him then?"

"He's allowed visitors, so if you're allowed then sure. He really wants to see you".

There was nothing more Cairo wanted than to see Dimitri. He had to ask Dr. Paxton if he was allowed to leave his room because Cairo wasn't sure if he could or not. Dr. Paxton had allowed him to but it was only due to Cairo's vitals looking well. Dr. Paxton had Melissa remove the IV from Cairo's hand and remove him from his vital monitor. She informed him to return to his room the second he began to feel unwell.

Seven and Fionn watched Cairo closely as they made the trip to Dimitri's room. Fionn was watching Cairo because the second the Irish man noticed Cairo acting abnormally, he was going to walk Cairo right back to his room. Seven was watching Cairo because he still couldn't quite believe that he was here. The stress of him missing was over, now they just had to help him get better both mentally and physically.

Dimitri was absentmindedly flipping through channels as he waited for Fionn and Seven to visit him. When he heard Cairo was allowed visitors, he insisted the two men see him first because ever since he'd been admitted, Cairo hadn't seen any of them. Dimitri didn't want Cairo to feel alone when he had just been rescued. Dimitri looked towards to the door when Seven suddenly entered, and Dimitri furrowed his eyebrows when Fionn followed after him. Visiting hours had started not too long ago, so Dimitri was surprised to see them so soon.

"How's Cairo doing?" Dimitri asked.

"Ask him yourself," Seven said as he pointed a thumb behind him.

Dimitri's heartbeat picked up when he witnessed Cairo walk into the room next, and his vital monitor showed it. The man hadn't been expecting to see Cairo today. There were a lot of different things he felt when he looked at the younger man. He felt relief and he felt anger, and concern, but most of all he felt happiness. Dimitri was really, really happy to see Cairo.

"What're you doing here?" Dimitri asked as he carefully leaned over and held his arms out.

Cairo walked into them and gave Dimitri a very soft hug. "I wanted to see you". Cairo took the time to focus on being in Dimitri's arms before continuing to speak, "I heard about your broken rib and punctured lung. I'm so sorry that happened to you. I feel like it's my fault".

Shaking his head, Dimitri pulled away from Cairo so he could look at the younger man. "It's not, Cairo, so don't feel that way. I don't blame you for anything. I'm just glad you're safe. How are you feeling? You're shaking".

"Am I?" Cairo asked, he held his hand in front of his face and noticed that yes, he was indeed shaking. "I think it's one of the withdrawal symptoms... Elijah kept drugging me with ketamine. I've been dealing with symptoms since I've been admitted".

Dimitri sadly shook his head and reached out to cup Cairo's face in his hands. He examined the younger man's bruised eye and cut lip. He moved his hand and gently traced a finger against the faint bruises on Cairo's neck.

When Cairo flinched, Dimitri removed his hands. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. I should've asked if you were okay with being touched".

"It's okay, I just..." Cairo trailed off for a moment.

Dimitri cleared his throat and shook his head for a second time to let Cairo know he didn't have to explain himself. "I'm so glad to see you, I've missed you so much. At times I thought..."

Cairo noticed the way Dimitri was choking up and the man didn't have to finish his sentence in order for Cairo to know what he was going to say.

"It's okay," Cairo whispered as he watched the way Dimitri had begun to cry. "Shh, it's okay, everything's okay now. I'm here, I'm safe".

"That's..." Dimitri cried, "I said I'd keep you safe but I let you get taken. I was only a few feet away and he..."

"It doesn't matter," Cairo assured, he sniffled and blinked his own tears away. It hurt having to listen to Dimitri cry and feel guilty. "I don't blame you, I never have. I love you, you know that? I haven't stopped". Cairo picked up Dimitri's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "don't cry, please".

It took Dimitri a moment to calm down, but once he had, he looked towards Fionn and Seven who were still in the room. Fionn was rubbing Seven's back who looked upset from what he had heard. Seven didn't like that Dimitri was carrying this guilt, but he understood why the man was.

"Do you know when you get to go home?" Cairo asked quietly. He eyed the tube that had been inserted into Dimitri's chest.

"In another two days, when are you scheduled?"

"Two days as well," Cairo smiled and lifted Dimitri's hand to his mouth so he could place a gentle kiss there. "We'll get to go home together".

"You don't know how much I've wanted you back. The house has felt empty without you".

"Has it? How's Mabel?"

"She's doing good, she really misses you. Every time I've come home from work, she searches for you because she thinks you'll come in after me. She'll be really pleased to see you".

"I can't wait to see her too".

Cairo was looking forward to the day he would be able to be back at home with Dimitri and Mabel. The hospital was nice, but there was nothing like the comfort of being at home with Dimitri. There were a lot of things he'd grown to miss while he had been abducted. He missed heating because the bunker was usually cold, and he missed hot showers and fluffy blankets and soft pillows. He missed carpet and TV and great food. Most of all though, Cairo just missed Dimitri and Mabel, and he wanted to be back home with them. He just had to wait two more days and things could slowly go back to normal.


	39. Chapter Thirty-Nine

There was one thing Dimitri really wanted to do before he was to go home from the hospital. Dimitri's doctor had removed his chest tube and stitched up the incision. He gave Dimitri instructions on how to keep the site clean and germ free. He told Dimitri that it was crucial for him to take it easy for the next six weeks so that his rib could heal. Dimitri had heard the same instructions before when his rib had been fractured and he wasn't looking forward to having to sit around waiting to be healed again. He didn't regret saving Cairo though and he never would.

Dimitri decided that while Cairo was being discharged, he would see if he could find the room Elijah had been assigned to. It had been fairly easy as all of the hospital staff had been informed of Elijah's presence for their safety. Dimitri still had his badge on him and as far as he knew, he was still a police officer until further notice. He'd been informed of Elijah's room assignment after verifying that he worked for the police department. Elijah was one floor above Dimitri, and when Dimitri arrived at the room, there was another officer standing outside of the closed door.

"Dimitri, I'm glad to see that you're okay," Officer Smith said when she realized it was Dimitri who had approached her. "The last time I saw you was when the paramedics were carrying you to the ambulance".

Dimitri smiled a bit, "thank you, I'd like to have a word with Elijah, if I may".

"He's technically not allowed visitors..." Officer Smith trailed off as she placed a hand on the door knob, "but just don't tell anyone I let you in".

Dimitri made a motion with his hand as if he was sealing his mouth shut and throwing away the key. He gave Officer Smith a soft pat on the shoulder and told her 'thank you' when she opened the door for him. Dimitri hadn't known where Elijah had been shot, but as he stepped into the room it became clear that he'd received a bullet to his right shoulder. There was plenty of gauze covering his wounded shoulder.

"May I help you?" Elijah asked as he watched Dimitri enter the room. He was sitting up in his bed and he was handcuffed to it as well.

"I just thought I'd stop by," Dimitri said as he shrugged his shoulders. He walked to the only window that was in the room and stared out of it. "You have a lovely view".

Elijah stared at Dimitri but didn't respond. He recognized Dimitri as the officer he had tackled and one of the men Cairo had been with at Club Fahrenheit two weeks ago. Elijah had witnessed the two sitting at a booth for the majority of the night and sharing heated kisses. He was aware of who Dimitri was to Cairo and he couldn't help but smirk at the sight of him.

"You've got Cairo back," Elijah said, deciding to go ahead and acknowledge the elephant in the room. "I bet you're happy about that".

"More than," Dimitri answered, "I'll be keeping a very close eye on him".

Elijah quirked an eyebrow, "like you should've been doing that night?"

"I hadn't been under the impression that he would be taken".

"You should've, I thought my message was loud and clear".

Dimitri frowned, "was it worth it? Murdering those three innocent men just so you could send a message?"

"If it wasn't worth it then I wouldn't have done it. Plus, I ended up getting what I wanted anyway. Cairo's told me a bit about you, you know? He wouldn't stop reminding me that you were looking for him. It got annoying very fast. He told me about how good of a boyfriend you are to him. He talked about how you were a better listener, you treated him better, and how you fucked him better too".

Dimitri wasn't quite sure how he wanted to respond so he settled for asking, "did he?"

Elijah hummed in confirmation, "yes, but I just wanted to let you know that you really missed out. You should've seen his body when he was sixteen. Granted he still looks good at twenty-two, but him at sixteen was something else entirely".

"Fuck you," Dimitri swore. "You're a disgusting piece of shit who's going to rot away in prison".

"You know, he still feels the same six years later," Elijah continued, "it's amazing to see how much his body has matured".

Dimitri couldn't stand listening to the way Elijah spoke about Cairo and his body. It was in such stark comparison to how Dimitri spoke about Cairo. Elijah spoke about Cairo like he was an object while Dimitri spoke about the younger man like he was a person. Dimitri had to leave the room or else he was sure things would begin to go south very fast.

When Elijah realized that Dimitri was walking to the door, he chuckled, "leaving so soon? You don't want to sit around and chat some more about Cairo? Did he tell you about me?"

When it became clear that Cairo hadn't, Elijah smiled, "I was his dirty little secret, yeah? Why do you think that is?"

"He probably didn't want me to judge him," Dimitri answered even though he was well aware that he shouldn't be entertaining Elijah.

"Or maybe he missed what we were and wanted to keep what we had between him and I".

Dimitri couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out of his chest, "I find that highly unlikely. I spoke to your mother and learned in detail about all the things you did to Cairo and the things you made him do. Cairo didn't stick around because he liked it, he stuck around because he was scared. He doesn't miss anything about your controlling and abusive nature. More importantly, why would he miss a man who preyed on him when he was fifteen?"

"Please, so you're telling me that if you were introduced to a fifteen year old Cairo you wouldn't pursue him?" Elijah asked.

Dimitri stared at Elijah and waited for the man to show some sort of sign that he was joking. When he didn't, Dimitri shook his head.

"No, I wouldn't have because he was a child. I'm having a hard time understanding why you ever thought it was okay. I doubt I'll ever understand though. I have to go now, I'm taking Cairo home," Dimitri explained.

"Keep a watchful on eye him for me," Elijah demanded, "I can't wait to see him again in court".

Dimitri had to physically bite his tongue so he wouldn't say anything else to Elijah. He walked out of the room and quietly closed the door behind him.

"There's something wrong with him," Dimitri said to Officer Smith. "There really is. Thank you for letting me slip in and speak to him".

Officer Smith nodded her head and she gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry this all happened to you".

Dimitri wanted to say that he didn't need her apology because nothing had happened to him. Dimitri wasn't the one who had been drugged and abducted. He hadn't been held in a bunker for two weeks. He hadn't gone through being continuously drugged and raped. Cairo was the one who had experienced those things, not him.

Dimitri settled for simply nodding his head and saying a soft, "thank you".

Dimitri made the trip to Cairo's room and found the younger man was already dressed in the clothes Seven and Fionn had brought him from the house. Dimitri had asked if they could stop by and grab both of them some fresh clothes. Cairo had requested one of Dimitri's sweaters and a pair of jeans to wear. It had still been a bit warm outside when Cairo had been abducted, but the man had soon realized the temperature had dropped since then. Seeing Cairo in his sweater when he walked into the room made Dimitri's angry attitude slowly diminish.

"Are you ready to go home?" Dimitri asked as he came to stand next to Cairo. He wanted to wrap an arm around the younger man's waist, but it became clear over the last few days that Cairo wasn't ready to be touched yet.

"Yes," Cairo answered, he smiled softly. "I'm ready to go home".

Cairo was feeling a lot better physically, he had got through the worst part of his withdrawals. The first three days had been hell for him. He hadn't wanted to eat because he was afraid of vomiting his food back up despite Dr. Paxton giving him nausea medicine. Cairo had yet to get a good's night sleep but his shaking was just beginning to go away. He had only gotten irrationally angry a few times over the past few days and he rarely ever got angry anymore now.

Cairo felt good, especially being in Dimitri's sweater. It smelled like the laundry detergent Cairo had come to associate with Dimitri. It was comfortable despite being a bit too large, and it kept him warm as well. It was in stark comparison to the clothing Elijah had provided Cairo while he had been in the bunker.

Seven had offered to drive Dimitri and Cairo home, so the two men followed behind him as he lead them to his car. The ride home was relatively quiet as Cairo mostly stared out of the window and struggled to process that he was actually free. Dimitri didn't want to force a conversation with Cairo, so he simply settled for quietly speaking to Seven. The two talked about what was to happen now, and Dimitri was explaining that Elijah was going to have a trial and be sentenced to prison.

"Is Cairo going to testify?" Seven quietly asked.

"I don't know, I haven't spoken to him about it yet. I want him to settle into being back before I ask".

"That makes sense".

When they had arrived at the house, Dimitri got out of the car first and opened Cairo's door for him. Cairo thanked Seven for the ride and followed Dimitri up the walkway and into the house. Mabel was at Cairo's feet in seconds and she was meowing loudly as if asking where Cairo had been lately.

"Hi, Mabel," Cairo cooed as he picked her up and let her nestle her head into his neck. "I've missed you. Have you been good for Dimitri while I've been away?"

"She has," Dimitri answered, "she's always good".

Cairo carried Mabel to the couch and sat down. He listened to her purr and looked towards the coffee table. There he noticed an envelope that had his name on it.

"What's that?" Cairo asked.

"Open it," Dimitri said as he sat down on the other side of the couch.

Cairo carefully leaned forward so he could pick up the card without letting go of Mabel. She settled into his lap while he began to open the envelope. When Cairo opened the card, he saw many different handwritten messages. All of them were saying how glad they were that Cairo was back home and safe. Cairo read over the signatures and could feel his eyes beginning to well up with tears. Renae, Charles, Aiden, Nathanial, and Natasha had all written messages and signed their name. Seven and Fionn had too and Fionn signed his parents' names for them since they were in Ireland. Dimitri wrote a message too and expressed how much he was glad to have Cairo home.

Cairo closed the card and set it back on the coffee table so he wouldn't get it wet with his tears. He was crying because it was such a big difference to how Elijah treated him. There were people who loved him and wanted the best for him and who were happy to have him home. Elijah had always insisted that he was the only one who loved Cairo and for a moment Cairo believed it.

"This is so sweet," Cairo said as he looked towards Dimitri, "everyone's so nice to me".

"Of course, we all really like you, you're quite likable," Dimitri replied. He glanced towards the kitchen, "my mom made you a pie".

"Did she really?"

"Yes, she insisted she make you one. She knew how much you enjoyed the one you and her made together when we visited. She drove here yesterday to drop it off. She called me and spoke about wanting to have a dinner for you but it won't be any time soon," Dimitri explained. "We both want you to get used to being back before throwing you into social activities".

Cairo nodded his head in understanding. He appreciated it because he honestly didn't think he was ready to be around a bunch of people yet.

"Can I have some pie now?" Cairo asked.

"Sure, you don't have to ask me," Dimitri said.

Watching the way Dimitri prepared himself to get up, Cairo stood up first. He helped Dimitri up and they walked to the kitchen. The pie was sitting on the counter and Cairo smiled when he saw it. He walked to the refrigerator and opened the freezer so he could grab some ice cream.

"Why are there so many different containers of food in here?"

Cairo looked to Dimitri for an answer and the older man sighed. "Seven and Fionn meal prepped for me because I wasn't eating while you were gone".

"Why not?"

"I was too stressed to eat," Dimitri replied honestly. "Seven and Fionn prepped meals and would keep me company. The house just felt too empty when it was just me in it".

Cairo looked sad as he set the container of ice cream onto the counter. "I'm sorry".

"Don't be, I wasn't telling you because I wanted you to feel bad. It's not your fault anyway".

With a small nod of his head, Cairo said, "okay".

He went back to making himself a plate of pie and ice cream and he made one for Dimitri too. The rest of the day was spent with Dimitri and Cairo getting used to the fact that they were together again. Cairo was secretly struggling with the change. He thought he would be thrilled to go from spending his time in a bunker to being back in a house. He really couldn't believe he was back home though. Dimitri was having a difficult time understanding that Cairo was really safe. He was keeping a watchful eye on the younger man because he couldn't fathom Cairo being free from Elijah.

When they retired to bed for the night, Cairo lay in bed while Dimitri was finishing his night time routine. When Dimitri joined him in bed and the lights had been turned off, Cairo stared into the darkness. He didn't know why he felt so anxious laying next to Dimitri and it pained him because being anxious was the last thing Cairo thought he should be feeling. Cairo figured it would go away with time, so he kept quiet as he listened to Dimitri's steady breathing. He eventually found himself slowly but surely falling asleep too.


	40. Chapter Forty

When Cairo opened his eyes, he hadn't been expecting to see grey concrete once again. He could feel his heartbeat pick up because no, it couldn't be possible. There was no way he had dreamt up being freed and being safe. Everything felt so real to him. He was in the hospital, he had seen Seven and Fionn, and he had spent time with Dimitri. There was no way none of that hadn't been real, but as Cairo felt the dingy blanket underneath his fingers, he realized that it was true.

Cairo hadn't been rescued and he hadn't gone through the past few days. Flinching at the noise, Cairo eyed the hatch door that was being unlocked. He thought he would never have to hear that sound again. Moving to nestle himself in the corner like he usually did, he watched the ladder appear in the bunker. He couldn't take his eyes off of the man who was descending the ladder and when Elijah turned around to face Cairo, the younger man screamed.

Cairo jolted awake from his nightmare and gasped. It was so dark in the room that he couldn't see anything in front of him. He could feel how hot and sweaty his body was and he struggled to get a grasp on reality. He could hear someone breathing deeply and for a brief second he worried that it was Elijah. Carefully, Cairo turned onto his other side and slowly reached a hand out to feel who was beside him. When his fingers touched dreadlocks instead of short hair, Cairo breathed out in relief.

He couldn't believe he had dreamed of being back in the bunker and under Elijah's control. It all felt so real and for Cairo to believe he had been thrusted back into his once grim reality didn't make him feel good at all. Rubbing at his eyes to rid them of sleep, Cairo slowly got out of the bed. He walked to the bathroom and made sure to close the door before turning on the bathroom light so it wouldn't wake Dimitri up.

Staring at himself in the mirror, Cairo took notice of the bags under his eyes and the way he looked so tired. Cairo was really, really tired. He knew the last time he had received a good nights sleep was before he had been taken. Not only was Cairo tired, but he was uncomfortable and confused. He was struggling and it had only been three days since he had been found.

Cairo felt gross because of how sweaty he was, so he snuck back into the bedroom to grab a clean pair of pajamas. While he was in the shower he took the time to thoroughly scrub at his skin. The soap in the hospital had been okay, but he had been looking forward to using the usual soap he always used. He looked over the slowly but surely fading bruises all over his body and took in a deep breath. Seeing them all really reminded Cairo of the things Elijah had done to him and he couldn't wait for the bruises to be gone.

Cairo's fingers gently traced the healing cuts on the inside of his thighs. Even though it had been over a week since he had made them, the cuts were still a bit tender. He couldn't press too hard or else they would hurt. He was disappointed in himself for letting Elijah get to him to the point where he self harmed again. To add on to that, Cairo was disappointed that he wanted to do it again.

He had forgotten how cutting himself made him feel. It gave him control and that was currently something the younger man didn't have in his life. Elijah had taken Cairo's control away when he had abducted him and Cairo still had yet to get any sort of control back. He felt like he couldn't get a grasp on his thoughts and the way he was feeling. He wanted things to go back to the way they were before, but he had no control over making such thing happen.

Things were different now and Cairo had to come to terms with that, but he just wasn't ready yet. He couldn't handle Dimitri touching him and he didn't like loud noises. He didn't like being in small spaces for too long because it reminded him too much of the bunker. He didn't feel like himself anymore and he hated it. He had lost his sense of control and he wanted to gain some of it back, and cutting himself seemed like the only way to do such thing.

Cairo got out of the shower before he could make the decision to pick apart the shaving razor that was resting on the little shelf of the shower. He dried himself off and put on the new pair of pajamas before leaving the bathroom. He quietly put his old pajamas in the hamper before leaving the room. Slowly, Cairo walked down the hallway and descended the stairs. He made his way to the kitchen and turned on the light. It was one in the morning but he didn't care as he began to grab the ingredients he needed in order to bake a cake. He would've made a pie, but he and Dimitri already had pie, and plus, Cairo wasn't so sure he could make a pie from scratch yet.

He preheated the oven and the man went on to open a box of cake mix. He dumped it into a bowl before adding eggs and vegetable oil. He took the time to wisk the mix until it was a nice thick consistency and no more of the powdery cake mix could be seen. Cairo buttered a cake pan and slowly poured the mix into the pan. After putting the cake into the oven, he began to clean up. He decided he would wash the dishes he had dirtied by hand instead of placing them in the dishwasher.

As Cairo was beginning to wash the dishes, Dimitri was waking up from his own nightmare. Even though Cairo had been found, Dimitri was still having nightmares about getting to Cairo too late and finding him dead. Dimitri knew Cairo wasn't comfortable with being touched, but Dimitri needed to know that he was there. It was too dark in the room for Dimitri to just look over and see if Cairo was there, so he reached a hand out to gently touch the younger man. Dimitri wanted to make sure his touch was light enough to not wake Cairo because he didn't want to accidentally startle him awake and trigger him. When Dimitri's hand came into contact with cold sheets instead of a warm body, the man immediately began to panic. Cairo being absent from the bed reminded Dimitri of the two weeks he had slept alone.

"Cairo," Dimitri said, his voice thick with sleep. Dimitri looked towards the bathroom and when he realized it was empty, he sat up.

"Fuck," he hissed as he reacted to the pain in his chest. His rib didn't agree with the way he had moved too quickly.

Dimitri was out of the bed in seconds and stumbling out of the room. He could feel his heartbeat picking up as he walked to the guest room and found it empty just like the bathroom had been.

"Cairo!" Dimitri yelled as he headed for the stairs. He quickly descended them and with every new step, Dimitri could feel his eyes becoming wet with tears. He had just got Cairo back and he didn't want to go through losing him again. If Cairo was indeed gone then Dimitri had no idea what he was going to do. He didn't think he could handle another investigation and search for the younger man.

"Cairo!" Dimitri gave another shout and went straight to the kitchen when the living room came up empty too.

When Dimitri entered the kitchen, he found Cairo sitting on the floor. He was in a corner where the two walls of cabinets met with his knees pulled up to his chest. Dimitri wasn't sure who looked more panic stricken in that moment. Dimitri was scared because he thought Cairo was gone while Cairo was scared because he thought Dimitri was angry. Cairo had come to equate yelling with anger very quickly. Elijah only yelled when Cairo had done something wrong and he was angry with Cairo because of it. Hearing Dimitri yelling his name led Cairo to believe that the older man was angry with him. Anger was usually followed by hitting when it came to Elijah and he was afraid Dimitri was going to take the same route.

Without thinking, Dimitri crossed the room and knelt down in front of Cairo. He hugged the younger man despite the sharp pain in his torso as he sobbed in what could only be relief. Cairo flinched out of fear and could feel himself beginning to freak out even more. As much as he loved Dimitri, he needed the older man off of him.

"Get off of me," Cairo begged, "please. I can't-"

"I'm sorry," Dimitri apologized quickly. He moved away from Cairo and wiped at his own eyes. "I'm sorry, I forgot. I just... You scared me".

"You scared me," Cairo replied as he hesitantly looked at Dimitri.

"How did I scare you?"

"The-" Cairo stopped short and massaged his temple, "the yelling, you yelling my name made me think that you were angry. I thought you were going to hurt me because... Because Elijah would always hit me when he was angry, so I thought..."

Dimitri tried to hide the hurt that he was feeling, but he wasn't sure if he was doing a good job or not. It hurt Dimitri's feelings that Cairo was afraid of him hurting him. Dimitri would never lay a hand on Cairo with the purpose of inflicting pain. The older man had to understand that Elijah had warped Cairo's mindset, and he did. Dimitri understood, but it didn't hurt any less.

Cairo looked at Dimitri, "how did I scare you?"

"I thought you were taken again, when I woke up and you weren't beside me, I thought..." Dimitri trailed off and sighed, "I thought you were gone".

"I'm sorry for scaring you," Cairo apologized, "I didn't mean to. I woke up from a nightmare and I decided to take a shower and then come down here to bake a cake".

"You decided to bake a cake at one in the morning?"

"Yes".

Cairo answered the question like it wasn't odd to bake a cake at such an early hour so Dimitri decided to move on.

"Okay, I'm sorry I scared you too," he said. "I was just scared of losing you again. I didn't think about my yelling triggering you. I was just too focused on finding you".

"It's okay," Cairo said, he hesitantly placed a hand on Dimitri's bicep and moved it back and forth slowly. "I'm here, I'm not leaving, not again".

Dimitri nodded and replied, "I won't ever put my hands on you to hurt you, Cairo. I just wanted to let you know that, okay? I understand you being scared though, so don't feel guilty about thinking that I'll hurt you. I just really wanted to let you know that I won't".

Cairo nodded his head too in order to let Dimitri know that he understood. The older man moved to sit down beside Cairo. He settled into a comfortable position and leaned his back against the cabinets.

"How many more minutes do you think the cake has?" Dimitri asked quietly, trying to make light conversation.

"Maybe another thirty more minutes," Cairo answered. "I made lemon, I hope that's alright. I saw that we had strawberry, but I was in the mood for lemon".

"That's fine with me, lemon cake sounds good right about now".

Cairo smiled softly but his smile faltered when he thought about why he made the cake in the first place.

"Dimitri, I baked a cake at one in the morning because I was going to tear apart a razor and cut myself if I didn't do something else with my hands," Cairo admitted. "I needed to keep my hands busy".

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Dimitri asked after hearing and processing Cairo's words. "I would've helped you get through the feeling. You don't have to go through something like that alone, Cairo. I wouldn't want you to".

"You were sleeping and I didn't..." Cairo sighed, "I didn't want to wake you up".

"Don't worry about that, please. I'd much rather lose sleep than to have you hurt yourself. You've been clean for years, yeah? That's something to be really proud of".

Cairo sniffled and shook his head, he looked down at his hands and watched as his tears fell and wet his skin. "I'm not, I cut myself again while I was in the bunker. It was maybe the third or forth day I was there. It was after Elijah had... I can't say it, but I'm no longer clean anymore".

Dimitri had yet to see Cairo's naked body since the younger man had been abducted. While they were both in the hospital, they saw very little of each other. There was no way for Dimitri to see the fresh cuts on Cairo's thighs.

"You're ten days then," Dimitri said, "which is still something to be really proud of, Cairo".

Dimitri was heartbroken having learned that Cairo had hurt himself, but he forced himself to not show it. He didn't want Cairo getting even more upset.

"Whether you're ten years clean or ten days clean, it doesn't matter. You can be proud of both. I know you're having a hard time, you're struggling and I don't want you to struggle alone. You have people here who love you and who support you and who want nothing but the best for you. You have me and you can talk to me, okay? You can tell me things and I will listen. It doesn't matter if it's two in the afternoon or two in the morning, I am here".

Nodding his head, Cairo struggled to keep from crying.

"I think you could benefit from seeing a therapist as well though," Dimitri added. "You're still able to talk to me and I'll always be here to listen, but I think speaking to someone on a professional level is something that could really help you".

"I agree," Cairo said as he nodded his head again, "I think you should see a therapist too. The feelings are the same, Dimitri. You can talk to me any time you need to, but you need help just as much as I do".

"I'm fi-" "You're not fine," Cairo interrupted, "I watched you cry because of how guilty you felt for letting me get taken. I don't blame you for my abduction because it wasn't your fault. You need to talk to someone about your guilt and your fear of losing me again. If I'm in therapy then I need you to be in therapy too. We both have each other, but we can both have professional help as well. We're not okay, and like you said, I'm not alone and neither are you".

Dimitri looked at Cairo's hand because he wanted to hold it, but he didn't want to be the one to initiate it. He knew Cairo had to be the one to make the first move. Cairo took notice of where Dimitri was looking and carefully reached out to hold the older man's hand.

"I love you," Dimitri murmured.

"I love you more," Cairo whispered and he meant it.

"I love you most".

Cairo shook his head, "not possible". He gave Dimitri's hand a gentle squeeze and when Dimitri looked up at him, he puckered his lips, "kiss, please".

Smiling softly, Dimitri leaned forward and gave Cairo a kiss. It hadn't been the first kiss they'd shared since Cairo had been rescued, but it had been the first kiss they'd shared since being home. It was soft and sweet, and it conveyed just how much love was between them.

The two continued to sit on the floor of the kitchen until the oven timer was beeping. Cairo helped Dimitri up from the floor before taking the cake out of the oven. They waited for it to cool and once it had, the two frosted it together. They sat down beside each other at the island and proceeded to use forks to eat the cake straight from the pan at two o'clock in the morning.


	41. Chapter Forty-One

Lately Cairo's been feeling like it's hard for him to breathe. He'd started therapy less than a week ago, and the sessions were already beginning to take a toll on him. They were weighing him down. Cairo went in thinking that talking to a professional would help, but so far it had only made him regret his decision. Talking to a therapist only reminded him of the things Elijah had put him through, and that was the last thing he wanted. He didn't want to remember the trauma.

The one thing he wanted the most was normalcy. He wanted things to go back to how they were before he'd been taken, but he knew that normalcy wasn't going to come anytime soon. Knowing that angered him because it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that he was the one who had to go through this struggle of having to make it one day at a time. It hadn't even been a whole month since he was rescued and he was already tired of feeling out of place. Cairo honestly didn't think he was ever going to be able to recover, not with the way he was currently feeling.

"Mabel, I'm trying so hard," Cairo murmured from where he was currently standing at the kitchen island. He was trying to make apple pie from scratch because he'd been craving another one of Renae's pies. The one she'd first made for him was long gone. It'd been eaten within a week of him being back home.

Cairo had never made a pie from scratch on his own, so he knew it was going to be trial and error before he was able to master the skill. Before he had even started, he told himself he wasn't going to get frustrated. That was easier said than done though because he could feel himself getting annoyed at the fact that the dough wasn't coming out as the right consistency. He didn't know what he was doing wrong.

"Maybe I shouldn't have tried to do this after another shitty therapy session," Cairo muttered.

Cairo had already been in a sour mood when he got home after his therapy session. He had hoped baking would uplift his mood, but he could now tell that it was really just doing the opposite. His therapy session hadn't gone very good, and now neither was his attempt at making a pie. It was only making his mood plummet even more.

The only good thing so far was that Dimitri currently wasn't home. Cairo hated being around Dimitri when he was upset. He was afraid of lashing out on him because he was aware that he currently didn't have a good grasp on his anger. So far he had been able to keep his anger to himself, but he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to do so for much longer. He avoided Dimitri when he was angry because he knew that Dimitri was observant. He knew Dimitri was going to ask him what was wrong. Cairo was fully aware that when Dimitri did, he wasn't going to be able to keep himself together anymore.

"What am I doing wrong?"

It had been one of the questions that Cairo had been asking himself lately. What was he doing wrong? Why couldn't he get back into the swing of things? When were things going to get better?

"Fuck," he swore as he pulled his hands away from inside of the mixing bowl. He picked up the bowl and carried it to the trashcan before tossing the watery dough away. While he did this, Mabel observed him from where she was sitting on top of the kitchen counter. Cairo didn't have the heart to tell her to get down, so he didn't.

After rinsing and drying the bowl, Cairo began to make the dough all over again. It was going to be his third attempt. The first time he'd mixed up his salt and sugar, and there was no way to fix his mistake so he had to begin again. For his second attempt, the dough was too watery. If this third attempt didn't go well for him, then he already decided that he wasn't going to try a fourth time.

He remeasured all of his ingredients and began to add them back into the bowl. Just as he was beginning to mix up the dough with his hands, he heard the front door open and close. Sighing softly, he listened to Dimitri's footsteps. They were growing closer. When Dimitri stepped into the kitchen, Cairo didn't look up at him.

"Hey, love," Dimitri greeted. He quirked an eyebrow when he noticed the flour on Cairo's face. He found himself softly smiling next because seeing Cairo with flour on his face reminded him of the first time he'd been over to the younger man's apartment. Dimitri's smile slowly diminished when he realized that Cairo was baking. Cairo usually only baked when he wasn't in that great of a mood.

"Cairo, are you alright?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Cairo continued to mix the dough. "Yeah, I'm fine".

"Are you sure?" Dimitri asked as he began to walk up to the island. He stopped walking when Cairo snappishly replied.

"I said I was fine, Dimitri".

It was silent between the two before Cairo closed his eyes and softly sighed. He opened his eyes when Dimitri began to walk again.

"Okay..." Dimitri felt like he was walking on eggshells as he decided to make his way to the refrigerator instead. As he opened the fridge, he asked, "how was your therapy session today?"

Being reminded of his terrible therapy session only upset Cairo more. He was already on edge due to the pie dough. He didn't need another reason to be even more upset. "How do you think it went?"

Turning around, Dimitri closed the fridge and nervously bit his lip. "Well... I don't know... That's why I'm asking".

Dimitri could tell Cairo wasn't in the best of moods, but seeing him this agitated was a first for him. Usually when Cairo wasn't in a good mood, it was because he was sad. Cairo didn't seem sad now though. He seemed rather annoyed, and Dimitri didn't understand why.

"It was shit, alright?" Cairo snapped as he finally looked up from the mixing bowl. It was the first time he had looked Dimitri in the eye since the man had gotten home. "It was complete shit. Does that answer your question? Is that what you want to hear?"

Seeing Cairo glaring at him caused Dimitri to frown. He wasn't hurt or upset with Cairo's response. He was simply concerned. He didn't know what to say next because the last thing he wanted to do was worsen Cairo's mood. Clearing his throat, Dimitri slowly walked over and stood a foot away from Cairo.

"Okay," he nodded his head in understanding and looked to the younger man. "I'm sorry to hear that... Is that why you're upset? Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, I don't, and I'm not upset over the therapy session," Cairo lied. "I just want to get this stupid dough right. I can't fucking get it to the right consistency. I've been trying for over an hour now".

It was silent once more as Cairo continued to mix the dough with his hands. He reached for a handful of more flour and huffed in frustration. Dimitri watched him and took notice of the way he was shaking.

Taking in a deep breath, Dimitri opened his mouth and spoke. "This isn't really about the dough, is it?"

Dimitri could only describe what Cairo did next as being a true act of utter exasperation. He slammed his hands down onto the island and swore. It startled Mabel so bad that she jumped down from the counter and scrambled out of the kitchen.

"No, Dimitri, it's not. It's about the fact that I want to fucking kill myself. That's what it's about".

Stunned into silence, Dimitri stared at Cairo. He wracked his brain for what he wanted to say. There were so many thoughts running through his mind. "I... You want to kill yourself?"

"Yes".

It had been a feeling that he hadn't felt since being taken. Cairo figured he would never feel such a way again since he had been rescued and he was away from Elijah's torment. It was hard though. Living life after his abduction was really, really hard. Cairo didn't think he could do it anymore. He didn't want to do it anymore.

"I want to kill myself so I don't have to feel anything anymore. I'm tired of feeling helpless".

Moving closer, Dimitri reached out a hand to place on Cairo's back. "What's making you feel this way?"

Scoffing in disbelief, Cairo moved away from Dimitri's hand. "Don't touch me. I don't want you to touch me, and did you really just ask me that?" He shook his head, "you know what's making me feel this way. I was fucking abducted, Dimitri".

"I know," Dimitri replied guiltily, "I'm sorry I asked you that. It wasn't right of me. I'm just trying to get a grasp on what's going on. I've never seen you this upset before. I want to fully understand how you're feeling".

Dimitri mentioning how upset Cairo was caused the younger man's eyes to well up with tears. This was exactly what he didn't want. He didn't want to unleash his anger on Dimitri. This was just another one of the things that he didn't have any control over. It absolutely aggravated him to no end.

"I can't help you if you don't talk to me about it, Cairo... If you don't tell me how you're feeling then how am I supposed to help? We talked about this, remember? I said you can talk to me about it, you can tell me how you're feeling and I'll listen".

Cairo bit his lip and shook his head, he looked to Dimitri and frowned. "Fine, I'll tell you how I feel. I feel like you put me in this situation, Dimitri".

Dimitri was speechless because he hadn't expected Cairo to say such a thing to him. He couldn't think of anything else he wanted to say except for the measly word, "what?"

Cairo could see the hurt in Dimitri's eyes and he felt his tears fall from his own because this isn't what he wanted at all. He didn't want to hurt Dimitri, but Cairo was hurting himself and he didn't want to be the only one. He didn't know when he became so selfish. Instead of taking back what he said, he simply doubled down instead.

"Y-You put me in this situation, Dimitri," Cairo stuttered out as he began to cry. He regretted the words the second they came out of his mouth, but he couldn't keep them in anymore. He approached Dimitri and hit his chest over and over again with closed fists. "You said you wouldn't let anything happen to me that night. You let-" Cairo heaved in a breath and let out a sob. "You let Elijah take me that night".

Dimitri flinched in pain at the feeling of Cairo's fists coming down on him. If Dimitri hadn't been injured then Cairo's punches wouldn't have hurt him at all. However, Dimitri's rib was still broken, so the hits to the chest and stomach were enough to make him ache.

"You're hurting me," Dimitri stated as he tried to block Cairo. His hands gripped the younger man's wrists and he watched Cairo try to pull them out of his grasp. Dimitri was stronger than Cairo though, so he didn't get free.

"Good," Cairo cried out in both anger and despair. "I want you to hurt like I hurt, Dimitri. I want someone to feel the pain that I feel".

Dimitri's chest felt tight, and it wasn't just because Cairo had punched him there. Cairo's confession brought guilt upon Dimitri. He'd been internally blaming himself ever since Cairo had been taken. Hearing Cairo actually admit to blaming him for his abduction caused Dimitri to only feel severely guilty. Knowing Cairo, Dimitri figured he didn't really mean it... or maybe he did. Maybe Cairo had lied to him on that first day in the hospital when he said he didn't blame Dimitri at all.

"Do you really mean that?" Dimitri asked as he struggled to keep his own tears at bay. "Because you know that's how I've felt every single day you've been gone. It's how I still feel now that you're back with me".

Cairo sniffled and Dimitri let go of his wrists when he realized that the younger was trying to wipe at his eyes. Cairo's hands were dirty with flour, but he didn't seem to care at all. Dimitri watched him shake his head as he worked to calm himself down from his sudden rage filled fit.

"No... No, I don't," Cairo answered truthfully. Honestly, Cairo didn't blame Dimitri at all. He just needed someone who he could let his anger out on. Unfortunately, it had been Dimitri. Cairo knew his words had cut deep. He could see it in the way Dimitri was looking at him. His brown eyes were glossy with tears and Cairo could see the hurt that they held. Cairo wanted to take back his words. He thought seeing Dimitri in pain too would make his pain hurt less, but it only made it hurt more. Cairo realized that when Dimitri was hurting, he hurt too. "I'm sorry".

Beginning to cry again, Cairo leaned into Dimitri's chest. He held the other man close and sobbed into his shirt. He didn't know who he was becoming. He would have never yelled and swore at Dimitri the way he just had before he'd been taken. This was a new side of himself that he wasn't familiar with at all.

"God, Dimitri, I'm so sorry".

Wrapping his arms around Cairo, Dimitri sighed. "It's okay".

With a shake of his head, Cairo pulled away, "it's not". He sadly gazed up at Dimitri, "I shouldn't have said those things to you, and I shouldn't have spoken to you in such a harsh tone. I really didn't mean what I said, I promise. I'm just... I'm really struggling. It's not an excuse to be mean though".

Dimitri hesitantly reached out his hands so that he could wipe the flour from Cairo's face. "I understand," he murmured, "and really, it's okay. You didn't hurt me".

"You can't do that," Cairo said, his voice firm. "You can't deny that what I said and did to you didn't hurt. You have to hold me accountable, Dimitri. Don't let me be abusive because I went through intense trauma. It's not fair to you at all. Promise me".

Dimitri didn't hold any animosity towards Cairo. Yes, what he said to him really did hurt, but Dimitri wasn't angry. He didn't think Cairo was being abusive either. He could tell how guilty Cairo felt for being rude to him though. Dimitri didn't want Cairo to be upset anymore. He just wanted to put the bout of anger behind them and move on.

"I promise".

Cairo stared at Dimitri and nodded his head a little when he didn't get the impression that the older man was lying. "Okay".

Eyeing the messy island top, Cairo began to slowly clean up. Dimitri watched him for a moment before speaking softly, "do you want me to FaceTime my mom so you two can make a pie together?"

Cairo couldn't stop his sudden bout of giggles. Dimitri's question had just caught him off guard. The older man smiled a bit because he really hadn't been trying to get Cairo to laugh, he was glad that he did though.

"Maybe tomorrow?" Cairo asked, "I'd much rather just lay down and rest. Is that okay?"

"Of course, it is".

Dimitri wasn't sure if Cairo wanted the bed to himself. He was more than willing to lounge downstairs on the couch while Cairo had the bedroom. Before he could express his thoughts, Cairo gently took ahold of Dimitri's hand and began to lead him upstairs. Once the two were in bed, Cairo peered over at Dimitri. The older man was laying down on his back while Cairo was sitting up.

"My therapist says I should talk to you about what happened to me..."

"Is that something you want to do?" Dimitri asked, "because you know that you don't have to".

Cairo hesitated for a moment, "I don't think I'm ready yet. When I am though, you'll be there, right? You'll be ready to listen?"

Slowly, Dimitri placed his hand on top of Cairo's since the younger man's was already resting in the space between them. "Always".

Dimitri certainly hadn't been expecting Cairo's anger when he first arrived home. He didn't feel any differently about Cairo though. There was little to nothing Cairo could say or do that was going to make Dimitri turn his back on him. He meant it when he said Cairo was it for him. He wasn't going to turn his back on the one person he absolutely wanted to spend the rest of his life with.


	42. Chapter Forty-Two

As Dimitri was logging into his computer to get ready for a video call with Captain Hutchinson, he was nervous. He knew he would have to talk to his boss sooner or later, but he would rather not talk to him at all. Dimitri didn't know where he stood with Captain Hutchinson and whether he still had a job or not. If he didn't then he would have to start looking into finding a new one.

Dimitri was thankfully in the position where if he needed to find a new job, he didn't have to find one immediately. He and Cairo had enough money in their bank accounts to continue to pay bills for the next few months. It was scary though, not knowing if he would be able to come back to work when his broken rib was healed. He wasn't working right now due to his injury and Cairo wasn't working either because he was still struggling to get back into the swing of things.

Dimitri was sitting at the kitchen island and waiting for Captain Hutchinson to appear online. The kitchen was the only place that acted as a well lit and put together place. Dimitri didn't have an office that he could utilize for the video call, so he worked with what he had. He only had to wait a few more minutes before Captain Hutchinson was calling. Dimitri accepted the video call when it came through and waited for the screen to connect.

Dimitri could tell that Captain Hutchinson was sitting at his desk because he could recognize the bookshelf in the background and the large window that faced other buildings.

"Good afternoon, Dimitri," Captain Hutchinson greeted, "how is Cairo doing?"

"Good afternoon, Captain," Dimitri replied before nodding his head. "Cairo is doing okay. He started therapy two days ago and he's told me he likes his therapist and the sessions are helping".

Captain Hutchinson smiled softly, "that's good to hear, I'm glad he's doing okay. How about you? How are you doing? I heard about your rib and your lung".

Dimitri nodded his head, "I'm doing good, I'm better than I was before. I'm still sore and if I move wrong then I'm in pain. It's nothing I haven't dealt with before though. It was the same for when my rib was only fractured. I'm in therapy too, Cairo thought I could benefit from it, so I found a therapist for myself as well".

Dimitri had been to only one session so far, but the first had been beneficial for him. After getting a bit familiar with one another, Dimitri's therapist, Dr. Hunt, got straight to the point. The two discussed Dimitri's fear of losing Cairo again and the anxiety he felt whenever the man wasn't in his direct line of sight. Dimitri was afraid of becoming overbearing because he knew Cairo was an adult, but he was just so terrified of something happening to him. The two also talked about the immense guilt that Dimitri was holding on to. The man just couldn't seem to shake the feeling.

Every time Cairo showed concern about the murders, Dimitri had always reassured him that he wouldn't let anything happen to him. Cairo had been kidnapped in a matter of seconds and Dimitri had been none the wiser to it until it was too late. He hadn't kept his promise and for that he felt guilty. Dimitri had one job and it was to keep Cairo safe, and he had failed.

"That's really good to hear, Dimitri. I was worried when I heard about your punctured lung. I would've come to visit you in the hospital, but I didn't want to cause you any potential unnecessary stress. I know that we're both aware of the conversation that needs to be had".

"Yes, sir," Dimitri agreed.

"Let's get to it then, yeah? I'd hate to hold you up," Captain Hutchinson said before clearing his throat. "I wrote you up for disobeying orders and I reviewed it with my boss. We looked at all of the details and we've come to the conclusion that it is not grounds for termination. You're not fired, you still have your job. This is your first offense, you've never given me any problems before, Dimitri. I'm not going to lie and say that I wouldn't have disobeyed orders if I were in the same situation that you had been in because honestly I would have disobeyed too. You're a good police officer, you follow the rules, except for this one time because you were looking out for the safety of your loved one. I'd like to put this behind us and move forward".

"As would I," Dimitri replied, "and thank you for taking the time to look at my disobedience from my point of view. I appreciate you giving me another chance and I won't let you down, Captain".

Captain Hutchinson nodded, "I'm sure you won't. I don't want to hold you up any further. I just wanted to let you know that you are still apart of the police force. I'm looking forward to seeing you back on the field once you're all healed. Have a good rest of your day".

"Thank you, you too".

Dimitri ended the video call and after he did so, he muttered the words, "thank God".

Hearing that he still had his job made Dimitri happy. He was relieved that he didn't have to start the process of finding a new place of work. When he was all healed up, he could return to the police department and he could go back out on the field and do what he loved.

"Mabel," Dimitri said as he walked into the living room. He looked to the cat who was resting in her hammock. "I get to keep my job".

Mabel watched Dimitri approach her and as he got closer, she rolled over so she was on her side. Dimitri rubbed her body and scratched in between her ears. He watched her close her eyes and listen to her purr.

"Cairo will be home any minute now," Dimitri spoke, "and then Seven and Fionn are going to come over".

Dimitri picked Mabel up because she was light enough and didn't cause him to feel any pain in his chest. He sat down on the couch and placed Mabel in his lap. Dimitri rubbed her absentmindedly as he waited for Cairo to get home. The man didn't want to admit it, but for the next fifteen minutes all he did was watch the door.

Dimitri had secretly timed how long it normally took for Cairo to get home from therapy. His therapist said it wasn't the best thing to do, especially so when Dimitri admitted to freaking out when Cairo was just a minute late. Dr. Hunt had said Dimitri couldn't watch the clock every time Cairo was due home. Getting worked up over Cairo being a minute or two late was not good for his mental health.

Cairo knew Dimitri was scared of losing him again. He didn't want to cause the man unnecessary stress, so he always made sure to text Dimitri that he was okay. He had got a new phone the second day he was officially back home. Cairo knew how anxious Dimitri now was, so he tried to get home as soon as possible. He had done a good job on arriving home at his usual time today.

The first thing Cairo saw when he walked into the house was Dimitri sitting on the couch with Mabel in his lap. He offered the two a soft smile before immediately joining them.

"How was your session today?" Dimitri asked as he passed Mabel off to Cairo.

Cairo hesitated, "it... It wasn't the best, but they all can't be, you know?"

"I'm sorry, do you want to talk about it?"

Shaking his head a little, Cairo touched Mabel's ear, "maybe later, if that's alright?"

"No, yeah, of course, it is," Dimitri replied. "I won't force you to talk about it with me. I actually have some good news".

"You do?" Cairo questioned, he looked to Dimitri in interest. "What is it?"

"I get to keep my job. I spoke to my captain and he said I could come back when I've healed".

Cairo smiled brightly and Dimitri relished it because he could barely remember the last time he had seen such an authentic smile on the younger man's face.

"That's great, Dimitri. I'm so happy for you. I know how much you love what you do and I'm glad you get to continue to do it".

"Thank you, Cairo".

"You're welcome," Cairo replied, "Fionn and Seven are still coming over, right?"

"Yeah, I told them you wanted them to come over so you could talk to all of us at once".

Earlier in the morning, Cairo had wanted Dimitri to ask if Seven and Fionn would come over later on. He wanted to talk to the three men about something important that had yet to be truly addressed. Cairo hadn't told Dimitri what he wanted to talk to them about, but he knew Dimitri was smart enough to easily figure it out. Cairo wasn't really ready to talk about it, but he felt bad about keeping his boyfriend and friends in the dark.

"Good," Cairo murmured.

"You don't have to tell us, you know that, right?"

Cairo nodded and reached out to place a hand on top of Dimitri's, "I do, but thank you for reminding me. I just hope none of you look at me any differently afterwards".

"We'd never," Dimitri reassured. He continued to speak when he noticed how wary Cairo looked. "Cairo, I'm serious, we wouldn't do that to you".

Dimitri could still see the wariness in the younger man's eyes and he sighed in disappointment. The two sat on the couch in silence until the doorbell was ringing, signifying that Seven and Fionn were finally there. Dimitri answered the door despite Cairo wanting him to stay seated because of his rib. Fionn and Seven noticed the slightly off-put atmosphere and quietly entered the house.

"Is everything alright?" Fionn asked worriedly as he sat down in the recliner.

Seven took a seat next to Dimitri who had returned to sitting on the couch while Cairo had decided to stand up and begin to slowly pace about the living room. He had placed Mabel back in her cat hammock and had begun to nervously wring his hands together.

"Yeah, is it?" Seven questioned, "what did we all need to talk about?"

"Cairo would like to share some information with us," Dimitri said as he looked to Cairo, "but he certainly doesn't have to".

Smiling softly, Cairo quietly said the words 'thank you' to Dimitri. Cairo cleared his throat and decided getting right to the point would be best in this situation. It wouldn't give him time to back out and change his mind.

"I met Elijah when I was fifteen," Cairo began, he opened his mouth to continue but Fionn spoke first.

"Oh, no," Fionn shook his head, "no, Cairo, you don't have to... It's alright, really. It's fine, we don't need to know. We're fi-" "It's not..." Cairo interrupted him and sucked in a breath, "it's not just for you guys, okay? It's for me too. I can't keep holding onto it anymore, so..."

"I..." Seven trailed off and glanced at Dimitri who was too busy intently watching Cairo to notice. "If you're sure..."

"I am," Cairo responded, he scratched at his wrist before starting from the beginning again. "I met Elijah when I was fifteen, we met online. I had this blog that I would write on. I'd write about my days and how I was feeling. I was bullied in high school, you guys know that, so my blog acted as an emotional outlet for me. I would get comments from people my age who were going through the same thing at their schools too. They would let me know that I wasn't alone; I wasn't the only one having a hard time in school".

Cairo sighed and was able to remember how much he used to vent on his blog. It was the only place where he felt like he could be heard. He had viewed it as a safe place and for it to have been tarnished made him sad.

"Elijah contacted me through my blog and told me he was fifteen too. We talked and got to know each other better. He wasn't like any of the other kids who would comment on my posts. Elijah was different, he was like... He was better than everybody else. He just knew all of the right things to say to get me to trust him and stuff. Our friendship eventually got to the point where we wanted to meet face to face. We lived relatively close to one another and so we... We met at the mall and that's where I found out that Elijah wasn't fifteen after all... He was twenty-five".

Cairo frowned at his words and shook his head in disappointment. He couldn't believe he had been so stupid and decided to meet a total stranger at the mall when he was only fifteen years old.

"I was really freaked out. I wanted to go home, but Elijah said he was the same Elijah that I spoke to over the internet. He was just a little older than he originally said he was. I was really lonely and probably at one of the most lowest points in my life. At the time, Elijah had been the only person to really show me attention and be a true friend. I stayed at the mall with him and he bought me new clothes and stuff".

If Cairo closed his eyes, he could almost remember the exact outfit Elijah had bought for him.

"Elijah was the only one to give me positive attention and so I took it and ran. We saw each other more after meeting for the first time at the mall. I would lie to my parents about where I was after school and hang out with Elijah. When I turned sixteen, Elijah started to focus more on my body. He would ask me all sorts of questions like what my body looked like naked or what type of underwear I wore... If I touched myself or not..."

Cairo could feel his eyes becoming wet with tears and he tried his best to blink them away.

"I remember mentioning Elijah to the kids at my school and being angry that none of them believed me when I said I was with an older guy. I told Elijah about it and he had gotten so pissed at me. He said the only way I could fix things between us was if I sent naked pictures of myself to him. I had been so scared to lose him and so I..." Cairo whispered the last part, "I sent the pictures to him".

When Cairo blinked his eyes once more, his tears escaped and fell down his cheeks. He was keeping his face towards the floor because he was too afraid to look anyone in the eye.

"When I was eighteen, my parents found out about the relationship I had with Elijah and they kicked me out. They were pissed off that I was acting grown underneath their roof because that's not how they had raised me. I didn't have any place to live and I was still in school, so I moved in with Elijah because he was all that I had left. He was really mean, he had started to threaten me a year prior when I was seventeen. He was very abusive in many different ways when I was living with him. He would hit me a lot and the one time I had tried blocking him, he broke my wrist because of it. I eventually ended up telling a counselor and received help".

If Cairo could go back in time and thank his high school counselor all over again, he would. His counselor had been the one to get Cairo out of Elijah's home and they had been the one to set Cairo up with a therapist as well.

"That's how I know Elijah, that's why he's so much older than me," Cairo explained.

"Oh my God," Fionn murmured. It had been the first thing he had said since Cairo had began his explanation. "Cairo, I... I am so sorry that happened to you. Is that... Is that why your parents don't speak to you?"

With a nod of his head, Cairo said, "yeah... I really let them down, which I get. I was speaking to a man ten years older than me".

"You were fifteen," Seven stated, "you were a kid, you didn't know any better, especially in the mindset that you were in. Cairo, you were vulnerable and Elijah preyed on you. That's not your fault and it certainly doesn't give your parents a reason to disown you. They should've been there for you when they found out you were taken advantage of. The last thing they should've done was kick you out and cut all ties".

It made sense when Seven said it out loud, but Cairo had always had a hard time believing it.

"You never told me why you didn't have a close relationship with your parents because of all you just said?" Fionn asked.

Cairo shook his head, "no, I didn't tell you because at the time, I couldn't remember why I didn't have a close relationship with my parents. I just knew that I didn't, so that's what I told you".

"What do you mean you didn't remember?" Dimitri asked.

It didn't make sense to him. How could Cairo not remember why he and his parents didn't speak? It was one of the many questions that Dimitri had. He wanted to ask Cairo why he never bothered to mention Elijah once to him and whether or not it had to do with trust.

"I spoke to my former therapist, the one my counselor had got for me," Cairo began. "We spoke on the phone a few days ago. She recounted all of the therapy sessions that I had with her when I was eighteen, nineteen, and twenty. She told me that with each new session, I would forget little details about what Elijah had put me through until it got to the point where I didn't remember him at all. She said I had repressed the memory of him. My brain made me forget".

Cairo shook his head and glanced at the three men who were staring at him. "I know it sounds weird, but I'm not lying, I promise. When I had healed from the abuse, my therapist had suggested that I move to a new place for a fresh start. I was better, and living in the same city that I had been abused in, even if I couldn't remember the abuse, wasn't really the best for me. When I was twenty-one, I moved to a new state entirely and I started over. I went to college and I met Fionn... I moved on with my life".

Dimitri continued to stare at Cairo because it was admittedly a lot to handle and a lot to unpack. Cairo didn't give any indication that he was lying or pulling some sort of twisted joke. He was being very serious and Dimitri could easily tell. Dimitri looked to Fionn who was wiping at his teary eyes and then to Seven who looked stunned.

"I didn't keep it from you guys on purpose," Cairo said, suddenly sobbing. "I just... It all came back to me when I saw Elijah for the first time in the bunker. He'd gotten out of prison and had began to look for me. I don't know how he found me, he never told me. I feel so guilty because, because-" Cairo sucked in a breath because he didn't feel like he could breathe.

Dimitri stood up and approached him, and before he could ask if he could touch Cairo, the younger man was leaning into him. Ignoring the ache in his chest as usual, Dimitri wrapped his arms around Cairo and tried to calm him down.

"I killed those three men," Cairo sobbed into Dimitri's shoulder. "Elijah found me and he was sending me a message. He used those men to try and let me know that he was in the city. Those three innocent men are dead because of me".

"Stop it," Dimitri demanded before sniffling. Hearing Cairo talk about his guilt brought tears to the older man's eyes. "You didn't kill anyone, alright? Elijah did, not you. You weren't the one who murdered them, Cairo".

"But I'm the one who's responsible," Cairo whimpered, "it all comes back to me, Dimitri. Elijah wouldn't have killed them if I hadn't have skipped town and moved to a new state. If I hadn't have left him then none of this would've happened".

"I need you to understand that none of this is your fault," Dimitri whispered. "It doesn't all come back to you. It all comes back to Elijah because if he hadn't have preyed on you then you wouldn't have gotten attached to him. You didn't cause any of this, Cairo, Elijah was the one who did".

"I can't believe you," Cairo admitted, "at least not yet".

Cairo wasn't sure how long he was going to hold onto his guilt. It sat on his shoulders and weighed him down because it was so heavy. Every day he would think about at least one of the murder victims and feel bad. They had died because of him and they had never met him a day in their life. Cairo was still alive while their lives had been taken far too soon.

"Come sit down, please," Dimitri requested as he guided Cairo to the couch. Cairo sat down where Dimitri was once sitting and shook his head.

"I'm really scared," Cairo confessed.

"Of what?" Seven asked worriedly.

Cairo sniffled and wiped underneath his eyes, "of forgetting again". Shaking his head for a second time, Cairo continued, "I don't feel like me anymore. I don't know who I am anymore. I can't- I can't remember who I was before the abduction happened and I'm afraid that I'll never be able to remember".

"You will," Dimitri reassured softly, "you have to remember who you were before all of this happened, Cairo. You can't forget that part of yourself, I won't let you".

"We won't let you," Fionn corrected, "and it's fine if you're not exactly the same as before, but we're not going to allow Elijah to continue to have an impact on the future you. You're in therapy and I'm sure it'll take some time, but I know at some point you will get your past characteristics back that are so distinctly you".

"You're not alone, Cairo. We'll help you figure things out along the way," Seven said from where he was sitting beside the younger man.

Cairo smiled as best he could even though he wasn't really feeling up to it at the moment.

"I don't know how I got so lucky with you all," he admitted, "I really don't. You've always been so nice to me".

"We just treat you the way you treat us, Cairo," Seven stated. "I don't think I've ever seen you anything but cheerful, except for that one time you told your coworker off when we were waiting to see Dimitri in the hospital".

Fionn laughed, "I remember that".

Cairo groaned and placed a hand on his forehead, "oh, God, don't remind me. I was so rude to her, I think that was the meanest I've ever been in my life. I still regret it".

Dimitri smiled because even though he had no idea what the three were talking about, he was just happy to see Cairo feeling something other than sadness. He stood in front of Cairo and watched him as he continued to talk with Seven and Fionn. Dimitri wasn't sure how long it was going to take for Cairo to get better, but he did know that he was going to be with the younger man every step of the way.


	43. Chapter Forty-Three

Dimitri couldn't remember the last time he had seen Cairo so nervous. He knew it had to have been when they first met, but that had been so long ago now. As Dimitri listened to Cairo throw up his breakfast, he briefly wondered how Cairo was going to get through the day. It wasn't going to be easy and he was positive the younger man was going to need a couple of breaks throughout the day since it wasn't going to be short either. Cairo had to testify in court today and he had tried to get out of it, but Elijah's lawyer had seen to it that Cairo was testifying.

Dimitri wasn't sure why Elijah's lawyer had been so adamant about Cairo testifying. Dimitri guessed he was trying to prove that Cairo was purposefully trying to tarnish Elijah's name. He wanted to catch Cairo in a lie and prove to the jury that Cairo wasn't being truthful. It was obvious Elijah was going to prison, there was no doubt in Dimitri's mind that he wasn't.

"Cairo, babe," Dimitri said as he softly knocked on the closed bathroom door. "Can I come in?"

When Dimitri heard Cairo say 'yes', he opened the door and entered the bathroom. Cairo was now at the sink brushing his teeth. Dimitri watched him for a moment before speaking.

"You're going to be fine, you know that? You practiced everything that you needed to".

It'd been a few months since Elijah had been arrested. The court date had been given and it had been looming like a dark cloud over Cairo's head ever since he learned he was going to have to testify. Cairo had testified once and he didn't want to do it again. Cairo was just beginning to feel like himself again, and for him to have to see Elijah again and recount what the older man had put him through scared him. Cairo already knew that seeing Elijah again was going to be a major set back for him.

Ever since Cairo had been told of the court date, he had been practicing all of what he was going to say. He practiced in front of the mirror and he practiced in front of Dimitri. Practicing in front of Dimitri had been really hard for the both of them. Dimitri had to listen to all of the things Elijah had done to Cairo. It hurt Dimitri knowing Cairo had gone through so much and he hadn't been there to stop it. Cairo struggled with telling Dimitri the things Elijah had done to him because he knew the older man would feel guilty.

Cairo had been right because he could see the guilt on Dimitri's face the first time he explained just how much Elijah hurt him. Dimitri had cried a lot after Cairo had finished speaking. It'd taken a lot for the man to calm down. Cairo remembered Dimitri giving him a hug and telling him how strong he was. Dimitri had been honest and said he didn't know how Cairo still managed to go about his day to day life after everything that had happened to him.

To be honest, Cairo didn't know how he did it either. He knew why he did it. He did it because he had Dimitri and he had Seven, and Fionn. He wasn't living his life for himself yet. He was doing it for the people around him, but he knew that eventually it would be for himself as well. Dimitri and his two friends kept Cairo going.

"I don't know, Dimitri, I'm really scared," Cairo confessed. "I don't know if I can do this".

"You can, and you will," Dimitri said. He placed his hands on Cairo's shoulders. They'd gotten to a place where Dimitri could touch Cairo's elbows, shoulders, and hands freely. Sometimes Cairo was okay with being touched other places as well, but he had his days where he didn't want to be touched at all and he let Dimitri know that. The man didn't mind and he appreciated Cairo telling him because the last thing he wanted to do was make Cairo feel uncomfortable.

"I'll be there," Dimitri reminded, "and so will Seven and Fionn. We'll be sitting in the gallery and we won't leave until it's over".

Cairo nodded his head in understanding and sighed, "okay".

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, I don't want to be late".

The drive to the courthouse consisted of Cairo murmuring quietly. If Dimitri listened hard enough, he could make out what Cairo was saying. He was going over his answers to any possible questions that he would be asked. He repeated the answers over and over again until he couldn't anymore because Dimitri had parked in the parking lot of the courthouse.

"Are Seven and Fionn here?" Cairo asked quietly.

"Yes, they're waiting inside, they're in the lobby".

"Do we have time to just sit here for a minute?" Cairo asked.

"We do," Dimitri answered, they had purposefully left the house a lot earlier than they needed to because Cairo knew he was going to need some time to get his thoughts together. He'd spoken to his lawyer over the phone the night before and they had already agreed upon a place and time to meet at the courthouse.

Dimitri didn't say anything as he watched Cairo take off his seatbelt and lean forward to rest his head on the dashboard. Cairo closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths before frowning.

"I can't believe I have to do this all over again, Dimitri," Cairo muttered, "it's not fair".

"I know, love, and I'm so sorry," Dimitri said, he placed a careful hand on Cairo's back and moved it around in slow circles. "You remember the things I told you, right? If you just tell the truth, listen carefully, think before you speak, and be confident of your answers, you should be fine".

Cairo nodded, "okay". He looked to the courthouse, "I think I'm ready to go in now".

"Alright," Dimitri removed his seatbelt as Cairo got out of the car.

When the two walked into the courthouse, they were immediately spotted by Fionn who had been watching the door ever since he and Seven had arrived. He stood up from where he was sitting as Cairo and Dimitri approached him.

"Thank you guys for coming," Cairo said to Seven and Fionn when he was standing in front of them. "I really appreciate it".

"Of course, there's no way we would've missed it," Seven said.

"Listen, mate, I've never been to American prison before but I'll go today if Elijah tries to pull some dumb shit, okay?" Fionn said.

Cairo found it in himself to laugh, "Fionn, you've never been to Irish prison either, you've never been to prison at all".

"I know, but I'll go today if I have to," Fionn said seriously.

Seven shook his head, "no one is going to prison except for Elijah, alright? We're not going to get involved with the trial. We'll sit in the gallery and quietly watch and support".

Dimitri nodded in agreement and added, "the last thing we need is one of us getting into trouble".

The trial wasn't about any of them, it was about Cairo. The three other men were there for support and nothing more. Dimitri wasn't looking forward to the trial because they knew Elijah's attorney was going to use Cairo's words against him. It was going to be hard for all of them to have to watch Cairo be thoroughly questioned.

Dimitri thought he had prepared himself pretty well until he was finally sitting down in the gallery of the courtroom. Elijah had been handcuffed when he entered the room with his lawyer. They took a seat at the deffendant's table which was only a few feet from the plaintiff's table that Cairo was sitting at with his own lawyer. Dimitri was sitting next to Seven who was sitting next to Fionn. They were in the first row of the gallery seating and even though Dimitri could only see the back of Cairo's body, he could tell how nervous and uncomfortable the younger man currently was.

"I'm so nervous," Dimitri whispered quietly enough so only Seven could hear him.

Seven placed a hand on Dimitri's shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze, "I understand, but it's going to be fine".

Dimitri wanted to tell him that he wasn't so sure, but he decided against it because the trial was starting. Dimitri remembered the things Elijah's mother, Elizabeth, had said about her son's first trial with Cairo. She'd told Dimitri about how volatile Elijah became during the trial and the crude things he yelled at Cairo. Dimitri was scared that Elijah was going to do the same thing this time.

The trial had been going pretty smoothly with little problem. Cairo's attorney asked Cairo questions to help strengthen their position that Elijah had committed crimes against the younger man. The pictures from Cairo's sexual assault forensic exam had been pulled up and Cairo explained how he received the bruises from Elijah. Dimitri had heard Cairo describe the things Elijah had done to him multiple times, but hearing Cairo describe the actions while he was sitting in the witness stand made Dimitri feel sick.

When it was Elijah's attorney's turn to question Cairo, Dimitri began to feel anxious. This was what Cairo had spent all of his time practicing for. He knew he was going to be asked questions in a way that was looking to poke holes in his story. Cairo knew Elijah's attorney wanted to catch him in a lie, but Cairo wasn't lying. It was clear that Elijah's attorney was working to convince the jury that the bruises had either been there already or that Elijah hadn't been the one to give them to Cairo at all.

"This is bullshit," Dimitri muttered as he leaned forward and listened to Elijah's attorney continue to question Cairo.

"He's literally grasping at straws," Seven murmured, "those are fresh bruises".

Dimitri nodded in agreement and watched Cairo closely. The man was struggling and Dimitri could tell. It was easy for Cairo to tell the truth because he had no reason to lie. It was still hard having to answer the question; however, and as much as he tried not to, he stuttered and stumbled through his words.

From where Fionn was sitting, he observed Cairo and felt pity for the other man. He could tell how hard Cairo was trying to keep it together. He looked uncomfortable and scared. Fionn wasn't the one who was testifying, but even he was happy when Cairo was able to return to the plaintiff's table.

Once Elijah had taken the younger man's place in the witness stand, Dimitri knew things were going to continue to go down hill. Elijah's attorney kept the photos from Cairo's sexual assault forensic exam on display and began to ask Elijah questions.

Seven, Dimitri, and Fionn prepared to hear him spin the truth. They hadn't been let down because just like they thought he would, he did. Elijah told the entire story, he just told it in a way that favored himself and made it seem like what he did wasn't all that bad. He insisted Cairo wanted to have sex with him despite the circumstances he'd been put in.

Cairo felt discouraged as he listened to Elijah speak. From where he sat at the plaintiff's table, he shook his head in disbelief. He'd been expecting Elijah to make himself look good, but it was still hard hearing Elijah insist that Cairo had wanted to have sex with him. When the ketamine had been brought into question, Elijah said Cairo had to have been okay taking it because he continued to eat the food even though he knew it contained drugs.

Cairo wanted to tell the judge and jury he only continued to eat the food because he didn't want to be beaten, but he decided against doing so because it wasn't his turn to speak. He'd already got his turn and it wouldn't look good for him if he interrupted Elijah's time to speak. Cairo sat quietly and tapped his foot against the floor while he nervously played with his fingers. He was ready to go home and hopefully be done with Elijah once and for all. He'd been told by his lawyer that there was too much evidence against Elijah for the man not to walk away with prison time. Elijah was going to prison, but he still deserved a fair trial.

Even though Cairo's own lawyer told him what was likely to happen, Cairo was still nervous. He didn't know what to think once they'd been allowed to leave the courtroom while the jury deliberated. Cairo had decided to go to the restroom because he needed some place that was quiet. He found a family restroom and opened the door before walking into it. He closed and locked the door behind him.

Cairo was sure Dimitri, Seven, and Fionn were looking for him since he'd been able to slip away before they could catch up to him. He just needed time alone, even if it was only for five minutes. Cairo took the time to breathe and revel in silence. There were a couple times during his testimony where Cairo felt like he was going to have a panic attack. Having Elijah sitting so close to him and having the man smirking at him as he told his side of the story made Cairo want to vomit.

Cairo didn't want to hide away in the bathroom for too long because he didn't want to worry the people who came to support him. After using the restroom and washing his hands, Cairo left the bathroom. He spotted Dimitri, Seven, and Fionn as he was walking down the hallway back to the courtroom. He approached them and without saying a word, he walked into Dimitri's chest. He rested his cheek on Dimitri's shoulder and sighed.

"Are you alright?" Dimitri asked quietly as he wrapped his arms around the younger man.

"No, I want to go home," Cairo confessed.

"It's almost over," Dimitri replied, "we'll go home after it's done, I promise".

Cairo nodded his head and brought his arms up to hug Dimitri. He was glad that he was finally able to do so. It'd been at least six weeks since Dimitri had broken his rib and said rib was now completely healed. Cairo could hug Dimitri as tight as he wanted without causing the man pain.

"Can we just stay like this until I have to go back in?"

Dimitri nodded his head at Cairo's question, "sure".

Cairo ended up having to wait a lot longer than he thought to be called back into the courtroom. That made him nervous because it was obvious the jury was having a difficult time coming to an unanimous decision if their deliberation was taking so long. When Cairo had entered the courtroom, he joined his lawyer at the plaintiff's table while Elijah sat at the defendant's table with his own lawyer.

The trial continued where it had left off and from where Cairo sat, he watched the judge look to the foreperson of the jury.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?"

The foreperson cleared her throat and Cairo watched her intently because he knew the next words she spoke were either going to make or break him.

"Yes, your honor. We hereby find the defendant, Elijah Hall, guilty on the count of kidnapping on the first degree, assault of the first degree, sexual assault of the first degree, and consumption by fraudulent means".

Elijah had been respectful for the majority of the trial, but he swore loudly when the foreperson had finished. He looked to Cairo and glared as he figured he had nothing to lose anymore.

"This is complete bullshit, you liked every single second of being with me. It was just like old times and you know it," Elijah stated.

"Someone get him under control," Dimitri demanded. He couldn't stand it when Elijah spoke to Cairo with such disrespect. 

Elijah found Dimitri in the gallery and smirked, "you think I'm lying? Wait until his ass moans my name instead of yours when you two fuck again, if you ever actually do. I bet he won't even be able to do it with you, let alone without thinking of me".

"Fuck you," Dimitri swore as he stood up.

Seven grabbed Dimitri's arm and told the man to sit down just as the judge was banging her gavel.

"Order in the court! I demand order".

Dimitri sat down and glared at the back of Elijah's head as his attorney forced him to stop talking. It was quiet for a moment except for someone sniffling and Dimitri's glare immediately disappeared when he realized it was Cairo.

"Shit," Dimitri whispered, "shit, shit, shit".

Dimitri rubbed his face in frustration because he just knew Cairo was crying because of the things Elijah had said to him and the brief interaction he and Elijah had shared. The last thing Dimitri wanted was to make Cairo upset and he had just gone and done such thing. Seven sighed and Fionn shook his head in slight disappointment. The redhead didn't blame Dimitri too much because the things Elijah had said to him were pretty disrespectful. It was just unfortunate that Cairo had to hear it.

"Members of the jury, this court dismisses you and thanks you for a job well done," the judge spoke.

She looked around the courtroom before announcing Elijah's sentence, it was enough years where he was certain not to get out anytime soon. Cairo briefly wondered how much would be added on when he went to trial for the three murders he had committed. "This court is adjourned".

The bailiff spoke next, "all rise".

When everyone in the courtroom was standing, the judge stood up from her bench and left the room. Once the judge was gone, everyone was free to leave. Cairo kept his head down and walked to the door as he tried his best to ignore the things Elijah was currently shouting at him. When he was out of the courtroom and in the hallway, he had a few brief words with his lawyer. Cairo thanked the man for representing him and doing such a good job.

Once they had finished saying goodbye, Cairo's lawyer left and Cairo was left on his own. He wasn't alone for very long due to Fionn and Seven approaching him just a few minutes later.

"Hey, you did really good, Cairo," Fionn said softly.

"Thank you," Cairo murmured, he glanced at Seven and Fionn but his eyes returned to the floor when Dimitri arrived. Cairo bit his lip at the awkward tension before clearing his throat, "I'm ready to go home, I'll see you two later. Thank you again for coming and supporting me".

"Of course, we won't hold you up," Seven said, "we'll see you later".

The drive home was initially very quiet and Dimitri couldn't stand it. When he came to a red light, he took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"I'm really proud of you," Dimitri began, "I think you're very strong, and I am also really sorry for briefly acting out in the courtroom. I shouldn't have done that".

"You embarrassed me," Cairo said as he looked to Dimitri, "do you know that?"

Cairo had felt immense embarrassment when he heard Elijah and Dimitri briefly share words with one another. It had been Elijah who had provoked Dimitri, and Cairo kind of understood why Dimitri had reacted the way he did. Elijah, Seven, Fionn, and Cairo weren't the only people in the courtroom though. Cairo's reaction would've been different if it had only been them, but there were other random people sitting in the gallery as well as the judge, bailiff, and all of the jury. It had been embarrassing for Cairo, especially the things Elijah had said about him.

"I do, and I am so sorry, Cairo," Dimitri said as he continued to drive. "I didn't think before I reacted. I was just so mad hearing Elijah talk to and about you like that".

"I understand, I do," Cairo insisted, "and I guess I kind of appreciate you standing up for me even though it was a bit embarrassing".

"Are you still upset with me?"

Shaking his head, Cairo sighed, "no, at this point I'd just like to get home. I'm so glad the trial is over. It was really hard having to recount everything again".

"I bet it was, but you did it, and we'll be home shortly, I promise". 

Cairo nodded his head a bit as he stared out of the window. He thought about the trial and how he felt so discouraged when Elijah was telling his side of the story. It felt good knowing the jury had sided with Cairo and had seen Elijah for what he truly was. At the same time though, Cairo still felt discouraged. Elijah really said that Cairo had been okay with taking ketamine and being raped. He said Cairo would moan his name the next time he and Dimitri had sex. Elijah said he didn't even think Cairo could have sex again at all. Cairo felt like Elijah still had a hold on him even though it had been months since he'd been saved.

Cairo didn't want to admit it, but Elijah had been right about him not being able to have sex. Cairo and Dimitri had tried once or twice, but they never got very far because Cairo couldn't do it without getting flashbacks of Elijah raping him. Cairo's need for sex had disappeared ever since he'd been back home because he just wasn't comfortable anymore. It disappointed him and made him feel guilty because Dimitri's sex drive was still there. Even though Dimitri tried his best to hide it, it wasn't difficult for Cairo to notice Dimitri's morning erections and the way he would roll away from Cairo in hopes that he wouldn't become aware of them. Cairo sometimes heard Dimitri in the shower getting off because that was now the only time or place where he was able to do so. He couldn't invite Cairo to join because the younger man had just never been ready and Cairo still currently wasn't sure if that was still true.

He didn't want it to be. He wanted to have sex with Dimitri. He remembered how great it had felt before he had been kidnapped. It just didn't feel that way anymore and he didn't know how he could make it feel that way again. He wanted to have sex with Dimitri because he wanted to prove Elijah wrong. He could have sex with Dimitri without moaning Elijah's name. He could have sex with Dimitri without having to stop because it was becoming too much. Cairo wanted to prove it to Elijah and most importantly, he wanted to prove it to himself.

When they'd got home, Cairo followed Dimitri into the living room. He watched the older man begin to take off his suit jacket and as he did so, Cairo spoke up.

"Dimitri, I want to have sex".

Dimitri stopped moving and stared at Cairo in surprise, "excuse me?"

"I would like to have sex, please".

With furrowed eyebrows, Dimitri asked, "right now?"

"Yes, right now".

"Why?"

Cairo hesitated because he wasn't sure on what the right answer was.

"Um... Because I would like to, would you?"

Dimitri was confused and he let it be known. "I'm sorry, I'm having a difficult time following. You just randomly want to have sex? We haven't had sex since before you were ta-" "I know, which is why I want to have it now".

Staring at Cairo, Dimitri slowly shook his head, "that's not the only reason... Listen if this is about what Elijah said in the courtroom earlier, you don't have to do anything you're not ready for".

"I want to prove it to him that I can do it," Cairo stated.

"The only person you need to prove it to is yourself, Cairo. What Elijah thinks doesn't matter, it never did".

"It matters to me," Cairo said, "and I know it shouldn't, but what Elijah said really did bother me. I want to prove it to him and also to myself that I can have sex without thinking about him or having to stop. This isn't just about Elijah, it's about me too. I need to do this for me so that I can finally reclaim my body as my own. I want my body to be mine again, Dimitri".

Dimitri had to take a moment to think over what Cairo had just confessed to him. He had to understand that he may think Elijah's words don't matter, but it's different for Cairo. Cairo thought they mattered and that was the most important thing. Dimitri wasn't going to tell him the truth, that he didn't think Cairo was ready. It would be rude and insensitive for Dimitri to act like he knew Cairo and Cairo's body better than Cairo, himself.

"Okay," Dimitri said, "if you think you're ready to try again, then we can".

Cairo nodded his head a bit, "okay, thank you".

Dimitri was going to be there for Cairo regardless of the outcome. If it turned out Cairo could get through having sex just fine then Dimitri would let him know how proud he was of him. If it turned out Cairo couldn't, Dimitri would just let Cairo know that he was proud of him for trying. Cairo was never going to go without support from Dimitri, that just wasn't how their relationship worked.


	44. Chapter Forty-Four

Cairo needed to feel like he was in control, it was something Dimitri had figured out the first two times they had tried having sex after Cairo had been abducted. The first time, Dimitri had accidentally put too much weight on top of Cairo when the younger man was beneath him and it caused Cairo to feel trapped. He had needed to stop and he didn't feel like he could continue again. The second time, Dimitri had gripped Cairo too hard and it sent the younger man into a panic attack. So Cairo needed to feel like he was in control and when it came to sex with Dimitri, Cairo was always in control. It might not have been something the younger man picked up on when they had sex before he was abducted, but it was true.

Dimitri told Cairo what to do, but Cairo always had the option to say 'no'. He just never did because Dimitri had never told the younger man to do anything beyond his boundaries. Cairo had never caught on to his power of control and it had only become obvious to Dimitri now when Cairo said to him.

"I need to feel like I'm in control".

"You've always been in control," Dimitri replied, "every single time we've had sex you've been in control".

Cairo furrowed his eyebrows, "I have?"

"Yes, I go off of you, Cairo. It's always been that way. I may be in control but you ultimately hold all of the power. You tell me to stop, I stop. You say 'no' to one of my requests, then I respect that and move on to a different one. I listen to you".

"Oh... Well then I need to feel that, I need to know it. Does that make sense?"

Dimitri nodded, "yes, it does".

Cairo wanted to feel like he was in control which meant for him that he had to be in control. He didn't feel like he was in control when Dimitri was controlling him even though he secretly was. Dimitri wasn't going to tell Cairo what to do this time because the younger man had to be the one to make those decisions with his own free will. He couldn't have someone telling him what to do or else he'd feel like he's being forced and it wouldn't end well for him.

"Do you feel okay right now?" Dimitri asked.

Cairo nodded because he did feel okay. The two were currently standing in the shower together. They'd relocated upstairs after Cairo had made his request of wanting to have sex. After taking off the suits they had worn to court, they retreated into the bathroom.

The first time they had tried to shower together since Cairo had been back hadn't worked out very well. Cairo was uncomfortable showering to begin with because he had grown a fear of tight spaces. They made him feel trapped. The shower was a decent size, but when there were two people occupying it, it could begin to feel a bit cramped. Dimitri had offered to step out and take a shower after Cairo was finished, but Cairo felt bad and said he'd take his shower second instead. He had left Dimitri to shower alone while he hid away in the guest room and cried in frustration that he couldn't take a stupid shower like he used to be able to.

It took time for Cairo to be comfortable in the shower again. He had taken Dimitri by surprise three weeks later when he popped into the bathroom and then the shower. The older man had cursed in surprise then laughed at himself. He had asked what Cairo was doing and the younger man had simply replied with, "I'm taking a shower".

It had gone as good as it could've. Cairo and Dimitri had cleansed themselves of their day and once they were finished, they got dressed in pajamas and settled on the couch to watch a movie. Cairo had felt proud of himself because he'd finally done it. He took a shower while another person occupied it as well.

Cairo could take showers with Dimitri now and not feel like the walls were closing in on him. It was one thing from his past that he had reclaimed in his present. As Cairo watched Dimitri stand beneath the spray of water to rinse away the soapsuds, he smiled softly to himself. He was glad he had been able to overcome his fear of showering with another person. Watching the way Dimitri's muscles moved made Cairo realize that not only did he miss Dimitri, but he missed the man's body too.

Cairo was already half hard from just looking at him. He watched Dimitri some more and when the man turned around he couldn't help but notice the state Cairo was in. When Dimitri smirked, Cairo gently punched him in the shoulder.

"Shut up".

"I didn't even say anything," Dimitri replied as he began to laugh. 

"I know, but you smirked at me," Cairo stated.

Shaking his head in amusement, Dimitri placed his hands on Cairo's hips so he could rub the skin there. They switched spots so Cairo could rinse the soap from his body. As he did so, Dimitri's hands traveled up to massage Cairo's shoulders.

"Hm," Cairo whispered, "that feels good".

"Does it? I can feel a knot right here".

Dimitri massaged the muscle of tension and when Cairo hissed, he stopped.

"No, keep going, please," Cairo begged. When Dimitri continued, Cairo said, "I've been really stressed out because of the trial".

"I've noticed," Dimitri said, "but it's over now, officially".

Cairo nodded as Dimitri continued to massage his shoulders. The two stayed in the shower until Dimitri could tell that Cairo was pretty relaxed. He figured now would be a good time to suggest moving forward if Cairo still wanted to.

"Do you want to go to the bedroom?"

Cairo nodded his head again, "oh, yeah, I almost forgot. I got distracted by your hands, I'm sorry".

Dimitri smiled, "it's okay".

They got out of the shower and dried off, and instead of putting on boxers and pajamas, they went without them. Dimitri sat down on the edge of the bed and watched Cairo pace about the room.

"Do you not want to do it anymore?" Dimitri asked, "because if you've changed your mind that's alright".

"No, I still want to, I'm just nervous and scared".

"Hey, look at me, come here," Dimitri said, he motioned for Cairo to come close. When the younger man was in front of him, Dimitri took a hold of his hands. "I understand that you're nervous and scared, but you don't have to be. You're in control, remember?"

Cairo nodded his head, "yes, can we go slow?"

"As slow as you want".

"Dimitri, you're going to make me cry with how nice you are to me," Cairo confessed as he looked at the older man. "You're very kind".

Smiling softly, Dimitri pressed a kiss to Cairo's hip. "Thank you, how do you want to start?"

"Just kissing," Cairo answered as he moved to straddle Dimitri's lap. The older man placed his hands on Cairo's thighs and moved them in slow circles. He stayed away from the inside of his thighs because he wasn't sure how Cairo would react to having his scars touched.

Dimitri looked at Cairo and leaned forward so he could capture the man's lips in a kiss. Dimitri didn't have to ask for permission to move things forward because Cairo was already parting his lips to let Dimitri's tongue in. He deepened the kiss and Cairo let him because he was comfortable with that. Kissing was something Elijah never really did with Cairo. The younger man couldn't even remember the last time the two had shared an actual kiss together and for that he was grateful.

Cairo shifted in Dimitri's lap and placed his hands on the man's abdomen. His fingers traced Dimitri's individual abs before moving lower. When Dimitri sucked in a breath at the feeling of Cairo's fingers around his cock, Cairo leaned back to look at him.

"Can I suck you off?"

"Yeah, I... If you want to".

Smiling just a bit, Cairo nodded, "I do".

He climbed off of Dimitri's lap and settled on his knees between the man's legs. Dimitri placed his hands behind him on the bed and leaned back. He moaned softly when Cairo took him into his mouth. It'd been a long time since Cairo had pleasured Dimitri in this way. Every single time Cairo would do it, Dimitri always seemed to forget just how good Cairo's mouth felt.

He placed a hand on top of Cairo's hair, his fingers gently scratching at the younger man's scalp. Cairo hummed at the feeling and Dimitri tilted his head up and breathed out a pleasurable sigh. Sometimes Dimitri enjoyed going slow because he could take the time and feel everything better. Before he'd been taken, Cairo and Dimitri preferred their sex to go a bit on the faster side. Sometimes they'd go slow, but more often than not, their sex usually consisted of a fast pace.

Dimitri thought it felt good being able to feel the way Cairo's tongue licked the under side of his cock. Dimitri could take in the warmth of his mouth and the subtle noises he would make. Dimitri's fingers gripped the bed sheet beneath him and he tensed his thighs to keep from thrusting up into Cairo's mouth. The younger man had taken to touching Dimitri's balls as he moved his mouth further down Dimitri's cock. Dimitri groaned at the sensation of having his balls played with and he could feel himself twitch at the feeling of hitting Cairo's throat.

"I'm going to come if you don't stop," Dimitri warned.

Cairo swallowed and Dimitri grunted, his hips lifted from the bed despite his efforts to keep them still. Cairo pulled off just as Dimitri thought there was absolutely no turning back. Both Dimitri and Cairo watched Dimitri's cock twitch once more at the sudden loss of stimulation. Dimitri took the time to breathe as Cairo shifted on his knees.

"Can I touch you now so I don't come in the next two seconds?" Dimitri asked.

Cairo laughed and nodded his head, "okay".

Dimitri helped Cairo up from the floor.

"Here, do you want to get comfortable while I get the lube?" Dimitri asked.

Before Cairo had been taken, Dimitri would've simply told Cairo to lay down on the bed. He couldn't do that anymore, at least not right now. Dimitri had to ask because Cairo needed to feel like he was in control and he had a choice. Cairo nodded and climbed onto the bed while Dimitri walked to the nightstand to get the lube.

Crawling to the middle of the bed, Cairo laid down on his stomach. He folded his arms and rested his cheek against his hands. Dimitri joined Cairo on the bed and touched the younger man's back. This would be the part where Dimitri straddled Cairo's torso so he could press kisses along Cairo's spine, but Dimitri couldn't do that. He couldn't be on top of Cairo or else Cairo would begin to freak out. So instead of being on top of him, Dimitri settled down beside him.

He was still able to leave gentle kisses along Cairo's spine, it just had to be done in a different way. Cairo concentrated on the feeling of Dimitri touching and leaving kisses on his body. He felt really relaxed and very comfortable. He had gotten hard as he sucked Dimitri off and he still currently was. He could feel his cock pressing against the sheets as he closed his eyes.

Dimitri sat up on his knees and moved so he was behind Cairo. He lifted the man's hips and massaged along his thighs. Cairo was positioned so his upper body was still against the mattress but his lower body was in the air. His legs were spread and his knees were planted on the mattress so he was exposed to Dimitri.

Cairo thought he was going to immediately freak out at the first touch from Dimitri's fingers, so he was surprised when he didn't. Things were starting off better than Cairo had expected them to. He actually found himself beginning to get into Dimitri fingering him open. He pushed back against Dimitri's fingers and moaned when Dimitri curled them. The older man had quickly come to learn where Cairo's prostate was located and he had always made sure to give it ample attention.

"That feel good?" Dimitri asked.

Cairo licked his lips before answering, "yeah". He groaned when Dimitri kept his fingers against his prostate as it was an interesting feeling of both pressure and pleasure. "Yes".

At the feeling of Dimitri's other hand gripping his cock, Cairo tensed up and cringed. He was suddenly reminded of the way Elijah would always grip Cairo's penis too hard whenever he would rape him. For a moment, Cairo thought he was back under Elijah's control and he was seconds away from panicking. Dimitri noticed the change in Cairo's demeanor and he immediately let go of Cairo's erection.

"Are you alright?" Dimitri asked worriedly.

Cairo had opened his eyes so he could peer at Dimitri and make sure it was actually him who was touching him and not Elijah. Cairo stared at Dimitri for a moment as he mentally willed himself to take a moment to breathe.

"I... I can't," Cairo murmured, he shook his head as best he could. "I can't have you touch me like that or else I start to think..." Cairo swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. "I need to be able to see you or else I'm going to start to think that Elijah's touching me".

Dimitri rubbed Cairo's lower back and nodded his head, "okay, that's okay. Let's switch positions then, yeah? Do you want to lay on your back instead?"

Cairo nodded and Dimitri slowly removed his fingers. He helped Cairo to carefully roll over onto his back. Cairo was disappointed in himself because he couldn't even distinguish between Elijah's and Dimitri's touches when his eyes were closed. It should've been obvious. Elijah touched Cairo like he was nothing but an object while Dimitri always touched Cairo like he was a person. Cairo frowned at himself and wondered 'what's wrong with you, Cairo? Why can't you tell the difference between your loving boyfriend and your past abuser?'

"What're you thinking about?" Dimitri suddenly asked.

"What?" Cairo looked to Dimitri in a bit of surprise. He hadn't realized the man was watching him.

"You look upset, what's bothering you? We can stop if you want".

Shaking his head, Cairo sighed heavily, "I'm just annoyed with myself that I can't tell the difference between the way you and Elijah touch me".

"You can't?" Dimitri asked quietly, "I don't touch you the same way, do I?"

"No, and that's why I'm upset. The way you two touch me are totally different, but when my eyes are closed or I just can't see you, it's like my brain just switches and I start to think it's Elijah touching me instead. I just get reminded of being back in the bunker and being raped and then I feel like it's happening all over again and I start to panic".

Cairo looked to Dimitri's hand that was slowly moving back and forth on his stomach. "See, Elijah would never do that to me. He'd just punch me and kick me there... But if I close my eyes right now and just lay here for a second, I'm going to start thinking it's Elijah's hands that are touching me. I have to keep reminding myself that it's you".

Cairo could feel his eyes becoming wet with tears because he was beginning to get frustrated with himself. He had already failed at not thinking about Elijah while he was trying to have sex with Dimitri. Elijah had been right, Cairo couldn't get him out of his head. It wasn't because he was obsessed with him, it was simply due to Elijah having worked his way into Cairo's brain.

"I'm sorry," Cairo apologized.

"What for?" Dimitri asked, "Cairo, I get it. I've never expected you to just bounce back from being raped. That's not something someone just does. What you went through was really traumatic and it's going to take time".

Cairo sniffled and wiped at his eyes, "you're so understanding". Cairo looked to Dimitri and then giggled in amusement, "I can't believe we're having a sentimental conversation with our dicks out".

Dimitri laughed in surprise at Cairo's words before shaking his head. "You sure are something else, do you know that?"

"Yeah," Cairo smiled.

"Do you want to keep going? You know I'll understand if you don't".

"I do, we can keep going, you'll just have to be patient with me".

"Of course," Dimitri replied, "I wouldn't be any other way. Do you think you're ready or do you want more fingers?"

"I'm ready," Cairo answered, he sat up and took a moment to briefly look about the bed.

"Alright, what position do you want to do?"

"Since I said I have to be able to see you, I think I'd like to ride you," Cairo requested, "please".

Dimitri moved so he was laying down and he made sure to grab the lube that he had used to open Cairo up. He paused for a moment and eyed the nightstand before looking to Cairo.

"Do you want to use a condom?"

"No," Cairo whispered, he crawled closer to Dimitri so he could press a kiss to his lips.

"Okay, give me a minute then," Dimitri said.

Cairo sat and watched Dimitri put lube on his hand so it would be easier to stroke his cock. He'd gone a bit soft as he was talking to Cairo about if he was okay or not. His mind had veered away from sex because he had been too busy listening to Cairo speak. Once he was back to being completely hard, Dimitri motioned for Cairo to come closer. Dimitri helped Cairo to ease down onto his dick, and once he was completely seated, Cairo sighed.

"Good?" Dimitri asked as he slowly rubbed Cairo's thighs and hips.

"Mhm," Cairo hummed, "good".

Cairo began to move and Dimitri licked his lips as he watched. Cairo placed his hands on Dimitri's chest for leverage as he lifted himself up only to settle back down again. It took Cairo only a few minutes to find a steady pace that he liked and as he was getting into it, he spoke.

"I'm really glad your, um..." Cairo trailed off and furrowed his eyebrows as he was far too busy focusing on the feeling of having Dimitri's cock in him to really focus on what he wanted to say. "Oh, that your rib isn't broken anymore because this would've hurt like shit for you".

Dimitri laughed and looked up at Cairo because honestly the way he was able to have a conversation with Dimitri while they had sex was something that Dimitri had always found intriguing. With all of his past partners, the sex hadn't consisted of much speaking. Dimitri quite liked talking to Cairo while they were sharing a moment like this. It was nice and refreshing to know they could still communicate while doing something so intimate. 

"Me too," Dimitri murmured before groaning. "Can I touch you here?"

Cairo looked down to see where Dimitri was referring to and he hesitantly nodded when he realized he was talking about wanting to touch his cock. Cairo moved his hands so he was gripping the headboard of the bed and he moaned when Dimitri began to stroke him. Cairo dropped his head down and watched Dimitri do it. He had to watch Dimitri touch him or else he would begin to think it was Elijah instead. Cairo shook his head to get Elijah out of his thoughts because even though he was having sex with Dimitri to prove Elijah wrong, Cairo didn't want to think about him.

"How do people do this for longer than ten minutes?" Cairo asked as he stopped moving. He slowly ground his hips down and gasped at the way Dimitri's cock stimulated his prostate. "My legs are killing me".

"Do you want to switch positions? I think I have an idea that we can try".

Cairo nodded and carefully lifted himself up and off Dimitri's lap. He watched Dimitri get up from the bed and walk over to the leaning floor mirror they kept in the corner of the room. Dimitri carried it over and positioned it so it was now across from the bed.

"This way you can see me while I'm behind you," Dimitri said after joining Cairo back on the bed.

Cairo nodded for a second time and positioned himself on his hands and knees. Dimitri got behind him and slowly eased his way back into Cairo. He started off slow and when Cairo told him he could go faster, he did. They had never incorporated a mirror into sex until now, but as Cairo watched Dimitri in the mirror, he realized that he quite liked it. Being able to see Dimitri eased Cairo's mind and kept him calm and comfortable.

Cairo listened to his and Dimitri's breathing as he watched their bodies move. He enjoyed talking to Dimitri while they had sex, but it was also nice to just listen to their bodies as they moved together. Cairo moved from his hands to his elbows and he closed his eyes so he could just concentrate on the things he was both feeling and hearing. He moaned in response to the way Dimitri grunted and occasionally moaned too. Cairo thought it was always nice knowing Dimitri was into it just as much as he was.

Lowering himself from his elbows to simply having his chest against the mattress, Cairo turned his head so his cheek was resting against the sheets too. He could feel the head of his cock brushing against the sheet every few thrusts and he just knew he wasn't going to last much longer. He let Dimitri know by whimpering out a few words.

"I'm going to come soon".

"Me too".

Cairo opened his eyes when he suddenly had an odd bout of anxiousness. It quickly ebbed away when he watched Dimitri in the mirror. Cairo mentally told himself it was Dimitri who was making him feel so good and not Elijah.

"Fuck," Cairo swore, his eyes screwing shut when Dimitri gave a particularly good thrust of his hips. He reached a hand between his body and the mattress so he could begin to stroke himself off. He could feel his thighs beginning to tremble and tense up as he pushed back against Dimitri's thrusts. Before biting his lip, Cairo whined, "don't stop, please, I'm coming".

Dimitri listened and instead of watching Cairo in the mirror like he had been doing the whole time, he stared down at the younger man instead. He watched the way Cairo's body seized up as he began to cum and he grunted at the feeling of Cairo clenching around his cock. Cairo's body was trembling and Dimitri reached a hand out to rub his spine.

"In or out?" Dimitri suddenly asked after Cairo's climax had ebbed away. He was still thrusting his hips, but he wouldn't be for long.

"What? What do you mean?" Cairo replied, his words slightly slurred together because of how good he currently felt.

"Where do you want me to come?" Dimitri breathed, "in or out?"

Cairo hummed and opened his eyes, he immediately found Dimitri's in the mirror and smiled.

"In," Cairo answered, he licked his lips and purposefully clenched down because he knew how much Dimitri liked it. Cairo moaned softly, "come in me".

"Jesus Christ," Dimitri muttered as he gave a few more deep thrusts before coming inside of Cairo.

His hips moved weakly once he was finished and he carefully pulled out of Cairo. Cairo lowered the bottom half of his body to the mattress just as Dimitri moved to lay down beside him. It was quiet in the room except for the sound of both of them taking the time to catch their breaths. Cairo turned his head to the other side so he could peer at Dimitri who was laying on his back.

"Are you okay?" Cairo asked quietly.

Dimitri looked at Cairo and nodded, "are you?"

Cairo thought for a moment before smiling, "yeah".

"Good," Dimitri pointed to the bathroom, "I'll be back".

Dimitri got off of the bed and came back with a warm, wet washcloth. He helped to clean Cairo up a bit before the younger man got up from the bed too. They decided to hop back in the shower to thoroughly clean themselves up and when they were finished, they stripped the bed of its dirty sheets and put new ones on.

They were still naked as they laid next to each other beneath the blanket. Cairo was cuddled into Dimitri's chest and he took a few seconds to just breathe and take in the moment.

"I've missed this," he eventually spoke, his voice soft.

"Missed what?" Dimitri asked, "having sex with me?"

Cairo chuckled and nodded his head, "well, yeah, that too. I was more so talking about the feeling you give me when we're having sex together..." Cairo looked up at Dimitri, "you know how to make me feel good about my body. I've never told you this, but before I met you, I never really touched myself. I thought it was gross and I think that came from being with Elijah for so long. That changed after we got together though because you taught me that touching myself and having sex could feel good. You do such an amazing job at making me feel good about myself and I don't think I've ever thanked you for that, so thank you".

Dimitri rubbed Cairo's back, "I'm glad I could help you. You know how I feel about you, Cairo. You've become one of the most important people to me. I love you and I've always wanted the best for you. You don't know how proud I am of you. I've watched you slowly but surely work your way back to being who you were before you were taken, and you're not quite there yet, but that's okay because you know why? I know you're going to get there eventually and I'm going to be with you along the way to help in any way I can. You're really strong, I think you're actually the strongest person I know. You're brave too and I'm just really happy that you're beginning to get comfortable with your body again".

"Yeah," Cairo agreed to Dimitri's last statement, "me too. I love you".

Dimitri hummed and pressed a kiss to Cairo's temple, "you know I love you more".

Cairo poked Dimitri's stomach, "yeah, well, I love you most so I've kind of got you beat".

"Not possible," Dimitri replied easily. He took a hold of Cairo's hand and stared at their intertwined fingers. He looked to Cairo when the younger man suddenly yawned. "Are you going to take a nap?"

"I think so," Cairo whispered, "you've made me tired".

Chuckling, Dimitri gently squeezed Cairo's fingers, "I'm sorry".

"Don't be, it was good. It was really, really, good".

Cairo listened to Dimitri's heartbeat and as he did so, he closed his eyes. He felt safe and comfortable, and very proud of himself. He didn't think he was going to be able to have sex with Dimitri without having to stop and calling it quits. He had proved Elijah wrong, and most importantly himself wrong too. It was what Cairo needed in order to boost his confidence and feel like his body belonged to him again. He wondered what else he would be able to do as the days, weeks, and even months passed by. When he had first been found, Cairo had been dreading the future, but as he laid beside Dimitri, he found himself kind of looking forward to it instead.


	45. Chapter Forty-Five

"Do you think they'll be happy to see me?"

Dimitri picked up Cairo's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as he concentrated on driving.

"No doubt about it," Dimitri answered Cairo's question, "especially my mom, you know how much she loves you, Cairo".

"I can't wait to see her again, she's the sweetest".

Dimitri and Cairo were on their way to Renae and Charles' house. It was Thanksgiving and Dimitri had been lucky enough to have a nightshift instead of a dayshift. Cairo and Dimitri were able to get up in the morning and immediately hit the road once they had eaten breakfast. They would stay the majority of the day and then drive back home so Dimitri would be able to make it to the police department so he could begin his shift.

Cairo stared out of the window but turned his head to look into the backseat when he heard a soft 'meow'. They had brought Mabel along with them after asking if Renae and Charles would mind having a cat in their house for the day. The two said they didn't mind, so Cairo had bought a cat carrier for Mabel. She didn't seem to have any problems being in it and Cairo was glad. He didn't want her being uncomfortable for the drive.

"Hi, Mabel," Cairo cooed, "you'll get to come out soon, I promise".

"She's doing a lot better in there than I thought she was going to," Dimitri admitted.

"I know right," Cairo agreed, "I was afraid she'd freak out. I have to remember to thank your parents again for letting us bring her along". Cairo looked to Dimitri when he suddenly remembered a question he had been meaning to ask him. "Oh, does your family have any Thanksgiving traditions? You've shared with me what you all do for Christmas, but not for Thanksgiving".

Dimitri nodded, "yeah, we keep the Thanksgiving parade playing on the TV and Aiden, Nathanial, and I usually help around in the kitchen. We have two people break the wishbone from the turkey and then we eat as a family and say what we're thankful for. We're the type of people who immediately put up the Christmas tree the day of Thanksgiving, so we do that closer to the afternoon".

Cairo grinned, "that sounds great, I'm excited to participate. Thank you for inviting me, I've kind of been worrying that you wouldn't".

"Of course I'd invite you," Dimitri said, "why wouldn't I? I wasn't just going to say 'well I'm off to my parents' house for Thanksgiving, Cairo. I'll see you when I get back, bye'. We're dating, you're apart of the family".

"I know," Cairo said, he smiled softly before sighing. "It's just been hard for me to adjust back to normal life. I know it's been a few months since everything happened, but you know how much I've struggled".

Dimitri nodded because he did know. The first two months back had been the hardest for Cairo. He was having a difficult time coming to terms with the fact that he was really free and safe. Cairo truly hadn't been himself the first month and it was clearly evident in the way he would avoid Dimitri's touches or completely disassociate from the world around him. There had been times where Dimitri had walked in on Cairo staring off into space because the younger man had managed to get too into his head.

Cairo couldn't leave the house without making sure he had the pepper spray he had bought himself. When he did leave the house, he was always on edge. He couldn't walk down the sidewalk without always having to look over his shoulder every so often. He'd been diagnosed with anxiety by his doctor because he had been showing signs ever since he had been rescued. He'd been put on medication to help ease the stress of having to continue every day life.

The first two months back Cairo had to attend a few narcotics anonymous meetings because he had also been showing signs of addiction. Cairo thought he had managed to walk away from ketamine, but there were times at the end of stressful days where he wished he could feel like how he felt when he was high on ketamine. Elijah had been able to get Cairo addicted in the two weeks he had him. It'd been hard for Dimitri to watch Cairo have sudden bouts of irritation from not being able to handle being sober because that wasn't the Cairo he knew. Dimitri wasn't familiar with the Cairo who glared and swore when he had a minor inconvenience. Dimitri had been there for him though. He took Cairo to all of his narcotics anonymous meetings and he didn't get upset when Cairo got irrationally angry with him.

Dimitri had mostly cried, but he always did it when Cairo wasn't around. He cried in the shower when he knew Cairo was sleeping or he cried in his car while he sat in the parking lot of the building in which Cairo's meetings were being held. He cried to his therapist about how upsetting and hard it was to watch someone he loved struggle with getting back to their past self. There had been days where Dimitri stayed home from work because he just didn't trust that Cairo wasn't going to go out and try to find some new drug to take. He stayed home from work because he wasn't positive that Cairo wasn't going to cut himself either.

That had been a problem in the first two months for Cairo as well. The man had baked so many pastries to keep his hands busy because if he didn't then he was going to find a way to hurt himself. This had been when Cairo was still trying to gain a sense of control back. He was still getting used to being on medication and going to his meetings that he felt like he had no control over his life. Baking helped for the most part, but there were days where Cairo just couldn't avoid the need to pick up a blade. He'd cut himself again since being back and Dimitri had found out when he noticed how the razors would start to disappear.

After finding out, Dimitri had promptly tossed the rest of the razors away. He had locked the knives up in the kitchen so Cairo wouldn't even try to use those instead. On the days he couldn't get out of work, he would ask that Fionn come over to keep Cairo company. Of course the redhead had agreed, and he would spend time with Cairo often. The two young men would sit around the house and watch movies or play board games because those would usually be the only two things that would keep Cairo distracted for long enough.

So yes, the first two months back had been really hard on Cairo and even Dimitri as well. They had got through it though, and once Cairo's medicine had kicked in and his level of anxiety had decreased, Dimitri had began to see the Cairo he was used to seeing. Cairo completed the narcotics anonymous meetings and he had been cleared by his doctor and therapist who both honestly believed Cairo wasn't going to relapse on any sort of hard drug. Cairo began to bake less and less because the urge of wanting to hurt himself had diminished. He began to laugh and smile more than he cursed and yelled.

What really helped Cairo to slowly but surely get back to who he used to be was when Elijah had been sentenced for the murders. Knowing the older man had been sentenced to life in prison was what Cairo needed in order to truly understand that it was over. He wasn't going to see his abuser again. With the help of the anxiety medication and knowing Elijah was going to be behind bars, Cairo was able to feel less anxious about leaving the house.

"I'm a bit nervous though," Cairo admitted suddenly, "about speaking to your family. What if they ask me about what it's been like for me since I've been back? Do I tell them about the NA meetings and the self harm? And being put on medication?"

Dimitri shook his head, "no, you tell them what you want to tell them". Dimitri glanced at Cairo, "they're not going to ask you anything about it. I told them not to, and even if I hadn't, they wouldn't have asked anyway. They respect your privacy and they're going to treat you like nothing has happened".

"Okay," Cairo nodded and took the time to think over what Dimitri told him. "That's good, I didn't want them to judge me. Your mom is the only one that knows about all of the stuff that's happened since me being back, right?"

"Yes, she's the only one," Dimitri answered.

Renae had been the one who Dimitri would call when he needed to hear reassuring words. Of course his therapist had offered him some, but when it came to Dimitri, there was nothing that eased him more than hearing his mother tell him that everything was going to be okay. It had always been that way for him. He went to his mother for help and guidance for just about everything. Just like all those times before, she helped get Dimitri though the troubling times with Cairo.

"She's not going to mention any of it unless you do first," Dimitri stated, "she was very adamant about me letting you know that".

Cairo nodded his head again and said, "okay".

He trusted Dimitri and even though he was nervous about seeing his family again, he overall felt good. The rest of the drive to Renae and Charles' house consisted of Dimitri and Cairo talking to Mabel. When they had arrived at the house, Cairo got her out of the car and carried her to the front door.

"You'll be out in just a moment," Cairo spoke to her as he stood on the front porch with Dimitri.

Mabel meowed and Dimitri chuckled, he watched as the front door opened and he smiled when he saw Natasha. She immediately moved to the side to let them in and closed the door behind them.

"Hi guys, everyone's in the kitchen. I was the only one with clean hands so I had to open the door".

"That makes sense, how have you been?" Dimitri asked as he moved to give her a hug.

"I've been good, and yourself? And you, Cairo?"

"I've been good too," Dimitri answered.

"Me too," Cairo replied even though it wasn't technically the truth. He figured Natasha was just being polite as it was normal to ask how someone has been if you haven't seen them in a while.

"Who's this?" Natasha asked as she knelt down to peer into the carrier Cairo was still holding.

Dimitri watched Cairo's face light up as he began to introduce Mabel to Natasha. Dimitri knew how much Cairo loved the cat and it was always fun watching him introduce her to new people. 

"This is Mabel, she's an orange tabby cat," Cairo explained as he set the carrier on the floor. He opened the door to the carrier so Mabel could walk out. "She's a senior cat, she's very sweet".

Natasha reached out a careful hand to pet her and she cooed when Mabel purred. "She's so cute".

"Isn't she?" Cairo replied.

The two took a few more minutes to talk about Mabel before following Dimitri to the kitchen. When they walked in, they found Renae at the counter making pie, Charles was just putting the turkey in the oven, Nathanial was shredding cheese for the macaroni and cheese, and Aiden was cutting up sweet potatoes.

"Hi, family," Dimitri greeted as he watched their heads turn to look at him.

"Hi, sweetheart," Renae said as she grabbed a clean dishcloth to wipe some of the flour from her hands. Dimitri watched her cross the kitchen along with his father. The first person Renae hugged was Cairo and Dimitri wasn't surprised because he suspected that she liked him just a bit more. Charles decided to hug Dimitri instead and give him a friendly pat on the back. He did the same with Cairo when Renae was finished with greeting the younger man and had moved onto her son.

"We're glad you could make it," Renae smiled and pressed a kiss to Dimitri's cheek. "It's nice seeing you both".

"It's nice seeing you as well," Cairo replied. "Thank you for allowing me to join your family on Thanksgiving".

"Well it's your family too, love," Renae stated. "Of course you would be here with us".

Cairo smiled and glanced around the kitchen. He met eyes with one twin and he waved, "hi, I still don't know who you are, I'm really sorry".

Nathanial laughed and stopped shredding the cheese for a moment, "it's alright, I'm Nathanial".

"I'm Aiden," Aiden said as he continued to cut the sweet potatoes, he gave Cairo a quick smile. "It's good seeing you again".

"For once they're telling the truth about who they are," Natasha said from where she was now standing at the sink, "unlike last time".

"Oh, yeah, that had been quite the struggle for me," Cairo said as he remembered how difficult it had been telling the two twins apart when they dressed in the same attire. Luckily for Cairo, Aiden and Nathanial weren't dressed the same this time so he was sure to remember who was who.

"Would you like to help me with the pie?" Renae asked Cairo.

Cairo nodded, "oh, yes, please. I've been trying to make my own from scratch at home but I can never get them to look like yours". 

Dimitri watched Cairo follow his mother to the counter. The younger man stopped by the sink to wash his hands before promptly getting into pie making with his mom. Dimitri looked to his father and shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess I'm stuck with you then".

"Gee, how unfortunate you are, son," Charles replied sarcastically.

Dimitri's family continued to cook Thanksgiving dinner and it was an all around happy atmosphere. Just like the last time he had been in the home, Cairo laughed at just about anything Aiden and Nathanial said. He stuck by Renae's side because the woman wouldn't let him out of her sight and Charles told Cairo that if he needed to get away from her, all he had to do was blink twice and he would come to his rescue.

Cairo didn't really get to speak to Dimitri again until the man was approaching him with a wishbone in his hand.

"Would you like to break this with me?"

Nodding his head, Cairo replied, "sure".

Cairo took one side of the wishbone while Dimitri took the other. They both took the time to come up with a wish before pulling the wishbone and breaking it. Cairo smiled when he got the bigger half and looked at Dimitri.

"Should I tell you what I wished for?"

Dimitri shook his head and pressed a kiss to Cairo's forehead, "it won't come true if you do".

"Okay".

Cairo wasn't very superstitious, but he decided to listen to Dimitri and keep his wish to himself. He had wished for a future with Dimitri that was filled with love and happiness. It was all he wanted and he wasn't going to risk it not coming true.

"Are you ready to eat?" Dimitri asked, "my brothers and I have almost finished setting up the table. I decided to find you so we could break the wishbone and then see how you're feeling. Do you feel alright? Not overwhelmed or anything?"

Cairo nodded his head to Dimitri's first question, "yes, I'm ready to eat, and I do feel alright. I feel great actually. I haven't felt overwhelmed since being here. Your family has a very calming aura around them. I feel very comfortable right now".

Dimitri stared at Cairo for a moment before smiling. "Good, that's really good, Cairo. I'm really happy to hear you're feeling comfortable".

That had been the most important thing to Dimitri. He had been slightly concerned about Cairo coming to his parents' house. He was worried his family would overwhelm Cairo with their personalities. This would be the first time Cairo would be around them since being back home.

"Come on, follow me".

Cairo let Dimitri take his hand and lead him to the dining room. Charles, Renae, Aiden, Nathanial, and Natasha were already sitting at the dining table. Dimitri's brothers and Natasha were all sitting on one side of the table and Charles and Renae were sitting on the other side. Dimitri took a seat beside his mother and Cairo sat down at the head of the table because it was the only chair left. The food had all been set up on the table and it looked really good from what Cairo could tell.

"Now that everyone's here, who wants to start us off on what we're thankful for?" Renae asked.

"I will," Nathanial said from where he was sitting to the right of Cairo. "I'm thankful for financial aid so I don't have to go broke while attending college".

Renae shook her head and sighed in exasperation because that wasn't exactly what she had been expecting her son to say. She looked to Natasha and pleaded, "can you please say something better than that?"

Natasha laughed lightly and smiled, "I'm thankful for the opportunities that have been given to me in the past year. They've allowed me to really explore my love for fashion design". 

Next was Aiden and the look on his face was enough for everyone to know he didn't have a very serious answer. "I'm thankful for mom's care packages that she sends me because they keep me from having to buy my own groceries".

"Jesus," Dimitri whispered at both of his brother's answers. He shook his head in amusement and looked to his father.

"Well I'm thankful for my family, I say it every year and I'll say it again this year too," Charles stated. "You know how much you all mean to me".

Renae smiled and placed a hand on her husband's arm, "I'm thankful for you all as well. Meeting your father and having my three boys is always something I'm going to be thankful for. I've been able to meet Natasha and Cairo through Dimitri and Nathanial and I'm glad".

"I'm thankful for Cairo," Dimitri said as he looked to the younger man. "I won't get too sentimental at the table, but I really am thankful that we were able to meet one another".

Cairo smiled and softly cleared his throat because he could already feel himself getting a bit emotional.

"I'm thankful for Dimitri," he spoke, "I don't know what my life would be like if I hadn't have met him. I'm thankful for his kindness and his patience and the way he treats me and takes care of me. It's something I've never really experienced much of before having met him".

From underneath the table, Dimitri gave Cairo's knee a gentle squeeze. Cairo looked at him and continued to smile because what he said was true. He was really, really thankful for Dimitri. As everyone began to fill their plates with food, the two held a conversation with one another and the people around them as well. Before they had even left the house that morning, Cairo told himself he was not to cry from happiness at the dinner table. He had managed to keep it together as conversation flowed easily and he only gave himself a few minutes to sit back and take in actually feeling like he was apart of a family.

Once dinner was finished and everyone was helping to clean up, Dimitri felt his phone vibrating from where it was in the pocket of his pants. He pulled it out expecting to see Seven or Fionn's name, but instead he saw a number that he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Cairo, babe," Dimitri said as he looked up from his phone to find Cairo in the kitchen. When he did, he motioned to the dining room. "Can I speak to you for a minute alone?"

Cairo could tell something wasn't right with Dimitri, so he gave a slow nod of his head and followed him out of the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Dimitri handed his phone to Cairo and pointed to the screen, "your mother is calling me".

"What?" Cairo looked at the number and immediately recognized it as his mother's. "Why?"

"I don't know, that's why I asked to speak to you alone. I haven't spoken to her since the investigation. I don't know why she would be calling".

"Me neither".

"Do you want to, um... Answer it?" Dimitri asked awkwardly, "or not?"

Cairo folded his arms across his chest and nervously tapped his foot against the floor. Biting his lip, he eyed the cellphone, "you answer it". A second later, he tacked on the word 'please'.

"You're sure?"

"Yes," Cairo wasn't, but he decided not to let Dimitri know that.

He watched Dimitri answer the call and bring the phone up to his ear.

"Hello?"

Cairo could faintly hear the voice of his mother that he hadn't heard in so long. He couldn't make out what she was saying, but he wasn't exactly sure if he wanted to anyway.

"Yes, this is Camille Jones, I'm sure you already know that though," Camille stated. "I want to keep this short, but I was calling because I couldn't get into contact with Cairo. You've stopped calling me and I looked into Elijah Hall and learned he was sentenced to life in prison. I guess I finally realized that you nor Cairo were pulling some sort of joke on me. Do you happen to know a way in which I could get into contact with him?"

Dimitri shook his head in disbelief as he stared at Cairo who was still standing in front of him. Camille wasn't aware of Dimitri's relationship to Cairo. It had never been mentioned, so Camille thought Dimitri was just another police officer who had been assigned to Cairo's case.

"I'm with him now actually... We're dating, by the way," Dimitri informed. He moved the phone away from his ear so he could quietly ask Cairo, "she wants to speak to you, do you want to speak to her?"

"I..." Cairo hesitated because he didn't know. He couldn't recall the last time he had spoken to his mother in person or even over the phone. "Yeah, I guess so..."

Dimitri handed the phone over to him and Cairo slowly brought it up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hello, Cairo. I know we haven't spoken in a while and I know you weren't expecting to hear from me at all. I've learned about Elijah and I just wanted to see if you were okay. I've come to realize that you were very close to death and even though we do not have a relationship, I would hate to hear about the death of my son".

Cairo furrowed his eyebrows and took a few more steps away from the living room because he didn't want Dimitri's family to hear him.

"Is this some sort of joke?" He asked, "because I'm not laughing. Nothing about this is funny. You decide to call me, let alone on Thanksgiving, to see if I'm okay? Do you know how many times I've tried to get into contact with you since I've moved away? You nor your husband have answered any of my calls or responded to any of my texts. You can't just... You don't get to do this to me. You don't get to call me on Thanksgiving and call me your son when you disowned me years ago. That's not how any of this works".

"I understand, and I'm not asking to get back into contact with you or to repair our relationship. I was simply calling because I wanted to know if you were okay".

"But why now? Why, after all these years, do you want to make sure that I'm okay now? Why couldn't you have asked me when I was fifteen and being bullied in school? Why couldn't you have asked me when I was eighteen and you found out I had been preyed on by a grown man? Why couldn't you have asked me sooner? I haven't been fucking okay for a long time".

Cairo opened his mouth to continue speaking, but he paused when he felt a hand on his back. He took a moment to breathe and calm down. He looked to Dimitri who was looking at him worriedly. Cairo shook his head and sighed.

"I'm fine, alright? I'm doing just fine. I'm recovering from being kidnapped, and being drugged and raped multiple times. Is that what you wanted to hear? I'm doing fine. I have to get back to spending time with my boyfriend's family now. His parents have managed to treat me like a son the two times I've been in their home. They've known me for less than three months and yet I feel like I'm apart of the family. You gave birth to me and I've lived with you for eighteen years of my life and I have never felt like a son to you, ever. Have a nice rest of your day, and don't call my boyfriend again. I will not be expecting to hear from you this upcoming Christmas or really ever again. Goodbye".

Dimitri didn't know what to say after Cairo had ended the call and handed back his phone to him. He still had his hand on Cairo's back and he gently moved it back and forth. Dimitri sighed when he heard Cairo sniffle and he pulled the younger man into his chest.

"She doesn't just get to do that to me," Cairo cried, his voice muffled due to his face being in Dimitri's neck. "She's not allowed to come into my life when for the past four years I've been trying to get back into her's. It's not fair and it's not right".

"It's not," Dimitri agreed, "and I'm so sorry that she thought it was. Do you want to go home?"

Cairo shook his head and took a step back so he could wipe his face free of tears. "No, I'd like to stay, please. I want to spend time with family that actually appreciates and acknowledges me".

Dimitri smiled softly and said, "okay".

He took the time to brush the pad of his thumb beneath Cairo's right eye to catch any stray tears. He gave the younger man another hug and placed a kiss to his temple.

"I love you," Dimitri whispered, "don't you know?"

"I do," Cairo replied, "and I love you too".

"More than I love you?"

Cairo found it in himself to chuckle because Dimitri was egging him on. "Yes, I love you more".

"Well I love you most".

Making a 'psh' noise, Cairo murmured softly, "not possible".

Dimitri gave Cairo a light squeeze before moving so he could have an arm around Cairo's waist instead. He motioned to the living room where he could hear his family laughing and holding conversation.

"I think they're beginning to set up the Christmas tree, let's join them".

Cairo let Dimitri walk him to the living room and from there he returned to Renae's side. She was looking through all of the ornaments they had collected over the years. Some were handmade while others were store bought. As Cairo began to look through them with her, he thought about what he said to the woman who he used to call mom.

He meant what he said. He didn't want her getting into contact with him again. She had missed her opportunity to do such thing a long time ago. Cairo no longer wanted to have a relationship with her because he no longer needed one. He had Dimitri, and he had Seven and Fionn, and all of Dimitri's family. There was no space for Camille in Cairo's life anymore, and even if there was, he wouldn't accept her. He had chosen the people he wanted to have in his life and he was happy with who he had.


	46. Chapter Forty-Six

Camille didn't call again on Christmas, and for that, Cairo was grateful. The younger man didn't know it, but Dimitri blocked Camille's number the second he was able to. Dimitri didn't need Camille trying to potentially weed her way back into Cairo's life to only ruin his progress. Cairo was doing good and the last thing he needed was for his mother to mess that up for him.

After they had arrived back home from Charles and Renae's house, Cairo went into the kitchen. Dimitri had been afraid that Cairo was going to start baking, but instead of grabbing the cake mix and mixing bowl, he grabbed a wine glass instead. Dimitri stood and watched from the doorway as the younger man poured himself a glass of wine. When he asked if Dimitri wanted one as well, Dimitri shook his head.

They had ended the night with Cairo taking the time to soak in a relaxing bath while Dimitri got ready for work. Even though Cairo had a great time with Dimitri's family, he had still had Camille on his mind. He needed to partake in self care so he wouldn't stress himself out, so he relaxed in the bath and watched Dimitri get dressed in his uniform. Cairo had got out of the bath just as Dimitri was getting ready to leave. The two shared a quick kiss and Cairo sent Dimitri on his way.

The following month had consisted of more therapy sessions and spending time with Fionn. Cairo felt like he wasn't as close to Fionn like he used to be before he had been taken. His life had just been so hectic since being saved that he just hadn't been able to simply spend time with his best friend. The only time Cairo saw Fionn was whenever Dimitri had asked Fionn to come over and keep an eye on Cairo. Cairo wanted to see Fionn outside of the house, and so he did.

The two met up and had lunch together or they went to the mall and started on Christmas shopping. Fionn told Cairo about the new things happening in his life. He had invited Seven to Ireland with him so the man could finally meet his parents in person. Seven, Alaina O'Connell, and Jack O'Connell had shared multiple video calls. They were familiar with each other and from what Fionn's parents could tell, Seven was perfect for their son. Seven's own parents had met Fionn months ago and had taken to Fionn very fast.

Fionn told Cairo how he was looking forward to taking the trip with Seven. He had already planned an itinerary that consisted of showing Seven his home country. Seven was just as excited as Fionn was. He was excited to see where Fionn had grown up for the majority of his life. He was very interested in seeing how a farm worked as well because Seven had never been to a working farm before.

Cairo was happy for Fionn, he always had been. He loved seeing Fionn happy and with someone who treated him well. He meshed so well with Seven and the older man was just what Fionn deserved. There was no doubt in Cairo's mind that Seven wasn't going to take care of Fionn and vice versa. They had a bright future and Cairo knew it.

It was Christmas Day now and Cairo was currently FaceTiming Fionn. Cairo had found a quiet place in Renae and Charles' home to FaceTime his friend. It was only one in the afternoon where Cairo was, but it was five o'clock in Ireland.

"How's your day been so far?" Cairo asked as he peered down at his phone. He watched Fionn grin at him.

"It was great, mate," Fionn answered before dissolving into giggles. "Seven got chased by the cows. Oh, you should've seen him running. I tried telling him they weren't going to hurt him. They were just curious and wanted to play, but he wouldn't believe me".

"Did he really?" Cairo took a moment to laugh. "Is Seven acting like how movies portray city people when they first show up to the country? I know not all of Ireland is pastures, but your parent's farm is pretty country like".

"He totally is. He had no idea how to collect the hen's eggs this morning and he screamed so loud when the goats ran at him. He's not in his element at all, but he told me he's still having a good time. I took him to my favorite pub yesterday and then we went to the Guinness Storehouse. He got to try real Guinness beer there and loved it. We're going to tour a castle tomorrow".

Cairo cooed, "Fionn that sounds great, I'm so happy for you. I'm glad you two are having a good time. Did Seven like the gifts you got him?"

"He did," Fionn nodded his head, "he loved the cuff links and the cologne, the home entertainment system, and briefcase. He got an absolute kick out of the math socks. He put them on immediately. Cairo, I've never seen a man get so happy over socks that had math equations on them. I'm telling you, if Seven could marry math, he would".

Cairo smiled, "that's so funny. Can I ask what he got you?"

"Sure, he got me a pair of Ray Bans and a watch, and tickets to the largest zoo in the US since he knows I'm getting my masters in animal science and want to work in a zoo one day. He also got me a bracelet that I've been eyeing from Gucci but couldn't justify spending so much money on".

"It must be nice having loads of cash," Cairo sighed wistfully. "Oh, how I wish I were you guys".

"Oh my god, shut up," Fionn chuckled. "By the way, thank you for the drink set and the leather jacket".

"You're welcome, I'm sorry I couldn't get you something from Gucci".

Fionn smiled softly, "you know I don't care about name brands, Cairo, I never have. I appreciate any gift you give me regardless of the price tag. Did you and Dimitri open your gifts yet?"

"Not yet, I wanted to call you first since I know you're five hours ahead of us. Dimitri's waiting for me downstairs".

"What, Cairo, you didn't tell me he was waiting on you!" Fionn exclaimed. "Get off of the phone with me and go and open gifts with your man. Call me back later, after all of the gifts have been opened".

Cairo nodded and smiled, "okay, I'll talk to you later, Fionn, bye".

"Bye, mate".

When Fionn had hung up and Cairo had made it back downstairs, he found Dimitri sitting on the couch with wrapped gifts on the coffee table. Dimitri and Cairo had exchanged gifts with Dimitri's family in the morning. Now it was time for Dimitri and Cairo to do the same. Dimitri had wanted a quiet place to do it and his family had been considerate enough to clear out the living room just for them.

"Hi, sorry it took me so long," Cairo apologized, he sat down beside Dimitri.

"It's alright, I'm not in a rush," Dimitri reassured. "Do you want to go first?"

Cairo hummed and smiled softly, "no, you first".

Dimitri smiled too and picked up a box. He ripped off the wrapping paper and eyed the new wallet Cairo had bought him. He went on to unwrap the other gifts and looked to Cairo when he was finished.

"How did you know I was looking into getting another coffee maker?"

"Well your last one is a couple of years old and you've been buying a lot more coffee at coffee shops lately. I figured it was because your coffee maker wasn't acting right anymore".

"It's not, it only makes lukewarm coffee now. Thank you," Dimitri leaned over to peck Cairo's left, "thank you for the other gifts as well".

"You're welcome".

Cairo had saved up money so he could gift Dimitri a new coffee maker, a shaving kit, a kitchen set, and a robe and house slippers. It wasn't much, but they were things that Dimitri had wanted so Cairo made sure to get them for him.

Cairo was next to open his gifts and after he was done, he looked at Dimitri and thanked the man, "thank you".

Dimitri had bought Cairo a bake book, a bath set, a private dinner at his favorite restaurant, a nice winter coat, and shoes. He had also gifted Cairo a portrait of Mabel. Dimitri thought it was so interesting that there were people out there who actually took professional photos of people's pets, but he knew Cairo would appreciate having a portrait of his favorite cat.

"You're welcome, love," Dimitri said, he reached into his back pocket and handed it Cairo. "I have one more thing to give you, but it's not from me. It's from Fionn and Seven".

Cairo furrowed his eyebrows and took the envelope from Dimitri. He opened it and pulled out the contents. He stared at the plane tickets and shook his head.

"What are these?" Cairo asked, "well I mean, I know what they are, but..." Cairo shook his head as he whispered, "what the fuck..." He looked up at Dimitri, "these say Bora Bora".

Dimitri smiled, "I know".

"Are these real?"

Laughing softly, Dimitri nodded, "yes. Fionn and Seven thought you deserved a vacation after all that you've been through. They bought you plane tickets to Bora Bora and they've booked one of those hotel huts on the water. December thirtieth through January third, you'll be there for New Years".

Cairo was speechless as he stared at the plane tickets, he wracked his brain for something to say. "How much is all of this costing them?"

"Way more than you'd be comfortable with knowing about," Dimitri said. He rushed to get out the rest of what he wanted to say because he could just tell that Cairo was getting ready to protest. "Seven and Fionn both reassured me multiple times that this vacation for you wasn't hurting either of their bank accounts. They went half and half and it's too late to get a refund on anything, so you're going, Cairo".

"They better be glad I have a passport already," Cairo sniffled and shook his head. "I can't believe this. I'm going to Bora Bora". He looked at Dimitri, "we're going to Bora Bora".

"I get to come with you?" Dimitri asked teasingly.

"Of course, you get to come with me," Cairo replied. He eyed the plane tickets again and shook his head as he whispered to himself, "I can't believe this... Bora Bora". Cairo shifted and grabbed his phone, "I have to call Fionn back, he told me to call him back after the gifts were open".

Dimitri sat back and watched Cairo FaceTime Fionn. The other man answered on the second ring and he could tell that Cairo wasn't sure whether he wanted to smile or glare at his friend. He settled for asking a question instead.

"Where's Seven? Is he with you?"

Fionn smiled, "yes, he's right here". Fionn panned the phone to show Seven sitting beside him. He angled the phone so Cairo was able to see the both of them on his phone's screen.

"Did you guys really buy me a vacation to Bora Bora?"

"We did," Fionn answered, "it was Seven's idea".

"I... Why? I don't deserve something like that".

Seven shook his head and scoffed, "are you kidding me? Of course, you do. You've been through so much these past few months. You need to get away, Cairo. You need a proper vacation out of the country".

"He's right, you know?" Fionn spoke, "these past few months have been really hard on you. I personally don't know how you've managed to stay so strong because if it had been me, I would've given up a long time ago. You deserve a break, Cairo, and we want to give you one".

"Thank you," Cairo said, he wiped at his eyes. "I'm never going to be able to make it up to you both".

"That's the thing, you don't have to," Seven stated. "We don't care about getting anything in return. It's a gift for you to enjoy, Cairo".

"You guys need to get back soon so I can give you both hugs," Cairo said.

"We'll be back on the twenty-seventh," Fionn said, "so you'll be able to see us while you're packing for your trip, and then you'll be off to Bora Bora".

"I can't believe it," Cairo shook his head, "I probably won't until I'm actually there. Thank you again".

"Of course, enjoy the rest of your day, okay? We'll talk again tomorrow," Fionn said.

Cairo nodded and after the call ended, he looked at Dimitri.

"Are you excited?" The older asked.

"I'm still in disbelief if I'm being honest," Cairo answered.

Dimitri chuckled and looked to the kitchen when Aiden poked his head into the living room.

"We're about to start the gingerbread house contest, are you guys ready?"

"Ready to get beat by mom again? Of course," Dimitri replied as he stood up. He collected his and Cairo's gifts and placed them by the front door so they wouldn't forget them when they left. He walked to the kitchen next and Cairo followed behind him.

"I honestly don't know why we even do it anymore if she beats us every year".

Dimitri patted Aiden on the back and sighed, "t'is a tradition now little brother. We've just got to accept our defeat and move on".

Cairo laughed lightly and looked at the kitchen table. There were three unbuilt gingerbread houses and packages of sprinkles, gum drops, mini candy canes, peppermints, and different icings.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's get into teams," Nathanial stated. "Natasha already said she'd like to be the referee of sorts this year".

"I say me and you, mom and dad, and Cairo and Dimitri," Aiden said. "That sound alright?"

"Sounds good to me," Charles stated from where he was already standing by the table.

"You're just saying that because you're going to let mom do all of the work," Aiden teased.

"You're right," Charles agreed easily.

Renae laughed softly and joined her husband at the table. Dimitri placed a hand on Cairo's back and led him to their own gingerbread house while Aiden and Nathanial stood in front of their own.

"So the rules are you guys get ten minutes to assemble and decorate your houses and whoever's the best looking wins two twenty-five dollar Visa gift cards".

Charles put the palms of his hands against one another and rubbed his hands back and forth. "Alright, the stakes are high".

"Oh my God," Aiden and Nathanial both muttered at the same time.

"That was creepy," Cairo whispered to Dimitri.

Dimitri smiled at him, "you get used to it after a while".

"Okay, is everyone ready?" Natasha asked as she set a ten minute timer on her phone. When everyone said 'yes', she pressed the start button and said, "go".

It was mild chaos as everyone began to quickly assemble their gingerbread houses. Cairo was too busy holding the pieces of cookie together while Dimitri iced them together. He could hear Aiden and Nathanial already bickering about their strategy and Charles was complicating Renae on what a good job she was doing.

"Our roof is concaving!" Nathanial exclaimed.

"We can have a house without a roof, can't we?" Aiden asked.

"No," Dimitri replied, "that'd be a terrible house if it didn't have a roof".

Cairo picked up a bag of icing and began to pipe loopy lines on their own house's roof. He was doing an okay job, but he only had but so much time. Dimitri was placing gumdrops around the house and then stuck two mini candy canes against the front of the house.

"Three more minutes!" Natasha exclaimed.

"Oh, man," Cairo murmured, he dabbed icing on peppermints before pressing them into the front and sides of the house so they looked sort of like bushes.

"Two minutes".

"Aiden, this looks like shit," Nathanial swore.

"I know, bro, but just put more icing on it, maybe they won't notice".

"We're going to notice," Dimitri replied.

Aiden scoffed, "Cairo talk to Dimitri so he can stop speaking to me".

"Will do," Cairo replied, he pointed to their house and looked at the older man. "Does this look good?"

"One minute!"

"It'll have to do, I think it looks pretty good if I'm being honest," Dimitri answered.

Cairo nodded in agreement and stared at their house. He looked to the twins and saw them both frantically covering their roof with icing.

"Thirty seconds, put the final touches on your houses".

When time had run out, Natasha let it be known and everyone took a step back from the table. Cairo thought his and Dimitri's house looked pretty good. It wasn't the neatest, but it was standing on its own. When Cairo looked at the twins' he quirked an eyebrow out of surprise. Their house was mostly covered in different colored icing and as everyone looked at it, the roof slowly but surely began to cave in.

"Told you," Dimitri said to his brothers, referring back to when Aiden asked if anyone would notice the house not having a roof.

Natasha snickered and shook her head.

Cairo looked at Charles and Renae's house and said, "wow".

Cairo thought his and Dimitri's house looked good, but Charles and Renae's looked better. It didn't look exactly like one that you would see on a magazine for baking, but it was pretty close. The house looked very neat and put together and Cairo thought there was no way Renae was able to make it look so clean in just ten minutes.

"That looks really good, Mrs. Renae," Cairo complimented.

"Oh, thank you, dear," Renae smiled.

"We make a good team, honey," Charles stated.

"Dad, you didn't do anything," Nathanial said, looking to his father.

"Sure, I did, son. I was your mother's emotional support. I kept her calm and in her zone the entire time".

Natasha took a second to laugh before motioning to everyone's houses. "So who do we think won?"

"Mom. Who else would it be? Although, I do think Cairo and Dimitri's house came pretty close," Aiden commented.

Dimitri nodded, "I think ours did too, we might win next year, mom".

Cairo smiled at Dimitri's words because he loved the implication. He hoped he was still with Dimitri come next Christmas. He was under the impression that he would be.

Renae smiled too, "well we'll just have to see, won't we?"

The rest of the day consisted of simply spending time with family. Cairo had never felt more at home. He sat beside Dimitri on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate as he listened to the twins tell stories about college. A Christmas movie was on as background noise and it was an all around comfortable atmosphere.

Dimitri had a loose arm around Cairo's waist and the younger man leaned into him. Dimitri briefly thought about how he was happy that Cairo had a place to spend Christmas. He remembered the man saying he didn't celebrate major holidays because he had no family to spend it with. That was no longer true and Dimitri was happy to have been the one to change that for him.


	47. Chapter Forty-Seven

If someone had told Cairo he would be vacationing in Bora Bora for New Years, he would've thought they were lying. There was no way he would be able to afford a vacation, let alone one to somewhere like Bora Bora. The most Cairo could afford was maybe two nights at a three star hotel that was only ten miles outside of the city. He just didn't have the funds, so as he sat with his feet in the crystal clear blue water of Bora Bora, he shook his head in disbelief.

He and Dimitri had already been there for three days. The plane trip to Bora Bora had been a particularly long one. It had been roughly eleven hours long and Cairo had been secretly dreading sitting in economy seats for just about half a day. He was thoroughly surprised; however, when Dimitri stood up after the airport employee had called first class seating for their flight over the intercom. Apparently Seven and Fionn had bought Cairo two first class plane tickets and the man hadn't been aware of it.

The whole flight Cairo was just in total shock that he had the ability to recline his seat all the way back. It was the most comfortable plane seat he had ever been in and he enjoyed the fact that he could catch up on a couple hours of sleep. He and Dimitri had woken up very early that morning to make sure they didn't miss their flight. About three hours into the flight, Dimitri dozed off and Cairo did the same. They woke up with five hours to go and that time was spent either talking, eating, or watching movies.

They had to take another plane from Tahiti to Bora Bora, and once they were on the island, they had a driver drive them to the resort. It was beautiful. The mountains in the distance were green and the palm trees on the resort were tall. Cairo had never seen water so blue; it was so close to being the same color as the cloudless sky. The sand on the beach was the whitest Cairo had ever seen.

The first day Cairo and Dimitri took the time to explore the resort. They walked along the boardwalk and passed the other bungalows before venturing onto the main building of the resort. Most of the building had an indoor-outdoor design so a nice breeze was able to pass through the building. After they had explored enough, Cairo and Dimitri returned to their overwater bungalow and took advantage of the king sized bed. They slept some more because they were jet lagged and woke up just in time to have dinner.

The second day was more eventful than the first since Cairo and Dimitri both felt like they had far more energy. They went snorkeling midday and were able to see the local fish in their natural habitat. Afterwards Cairo decided to order room service as he swam in the bay. Dimitri decided to take a private fitness class while Cairo was enjoying himself and his lunch.

The third day was today and so far Cairo and Dimitri had another delicious breakfast in bed. They went swimming in the resort's pool at around twelve and afterwards they had enjoyed a couples massage. The massage had felt so good that Cairo was relaxed enough to fall asleep once it was over and they had returned to their bungalow.

Cairo had woken up ten minutes ago and got out of the bed so he could sit on the deck of the bungalow and dip his feet in the water. He looked across the bay and stared at the mountains that were a ways away. Dimitri was still sleeping in bed and he wondered how much longer he would be asleep for.

Cairo picked up his phone from where it was beside him and called Fionn so the two could FaceTime. He had done the math in his head and knew it was nine in the evening where Fionn was. It was three in the afternoon for Cairo.

"Hey, mate!" Fionn answered cheerfully, he smiled at Cairo.

"Hi, Fionn," Cairo smiled, "I haven't called at a bad time, have I?"

"Not at all, Seven and I are just hanging out in the apartment until we get ready to go uptown to watch the fireworks".

It was New Years Eve today and everyone around the world had either already celebrated or was preparing to ring in the new year. Fionn and Seven were going to watch fireworks uptown while Dimitri and Cairo had a private dinner on the beach already planned. They would be able to see the firework display from where they were going to be eating on the beach and Cairo couldn't wait to experience it.

"Good, I didn't want to bother you. I haven't spoken to you much since Dimitri and I left for Bora Bora".

"I know, I didn't want to text you too much. You're on vacation after all. How's it been?"

"It's been great, Fionn. The food here is amazing and look at the water and the view". Cairo flipped the camera around to show Fionn the view that he had access to. Fionn whistled and when Cairo flipped the camera back around so it was facing him, Fionn smiled.

"It's beautiful, I'm glad you get to see it in person".

"I get to thanks to you and Seven," Cairo stated. "I'm never going to forget this trip, Fionn. I haven't felt stressed since I got here".

"Good, that was the reason why Seven and I bought you the trip. You needed to get away. After what happened to you..."

Fionn trailed off because he wasn't sure if he was allowed to talk about it or really bring it up. Cairo nodded his head to let Fionn know it was okay for him to keep talking.

"After what happened to you, you just weren't the same, which is understandable. I know you said you were afraid of forgetting who you were before being abducted, but I'm starting to see the old you again".

"I think it's my anxiety medication that's helping me get back to who I was," Cairo admitted. "Before I got put on the medicine, I was really anxious, Fionn. You know that, you saw me. I couldn't leave the house without pepper spray or looking over my shoulder multiple times. I still sometimes flinch at loud noises and I still have a few nightmares of Elijah every now and again, but I... I feel good, I feel better than I did before".

"I'm happy to hear about your progress, all I wanted was for you to get better and be okay".

"Thank you for being there for me," Cairo said. "I know I've said it before, but I really do appreciate you, Fionn. I love you a lot".

"Of course, mate. I wouldn't have it any other way, I love you too".

"What have I walked in on?" Dimitri asked jokingly as he suddenly walked onto the deck. He looked at Cairo and smiled.

Cairo smiled back and patted the space beside him. Dimitri had woken up from his nap and where he was laying in the bed, he could hear Cairo talking to Fionn. He decided he would join the younger man and had walked to the deck to join him. Dimitri sat down beside Cairo and worked to fully wake up a bit more.

"We're just getting a little sentimental," Cairo spoke.

"I can tell," Dimitri replied, he looked to Cairo's phone, "hi, Fionn".

"Hi, mate, you been enjoying yourself?"

"Oh, definitely. Has Cairo already told you what all that we've done?"

Fionn shook his head, "not yet, tell me".

"We went snorkeling, swimming in the pool, I took a private fitness class, and we got a couples massage. We have a private dinner on the beach tonight, and then tomorrow we're going to go parasailing and jet ski, and then shop for a bit".

"That sounds really fun," Fionn stated, "I think I need to book Seven and I a bungalow so we can go to Bora Bora too".

"You should," Cairo said, "you two would definitely have a good time".

Cairo watched as Fionn turned his head away from his phone when someone asked, "are you talking to Cairo?"

"Yeah, and Dimitri too. Come say hi".

Seven appeared on the screen and waved, "hey, how's the trip going?"

"It's going really great," Dimitri answered, "we're having a wonderful time. We were just telling Fionn that you and him would enjoy Bora Bora a lot if you decided to come. There's so much to do here".

"We'll have to plan a trip then, I still want to go on one with all of us together. We could plan that for the new year too".

Dimitri nodded, "for sure".

The four men talked for a few more minutes about where they might want to go. After a lull in the conversation, Seven said he and Fionn were going to start getting ready so they could try and find a restaurant to eat at uptown before it got too crowded. After saying goodbye, and when it was just Cairo and Dimitri, Cairo spoke.

"Was there anything you wanted to do today? We have some time before our dinner".

"I have an idea on how we could pass the time..." Dimitri trailed off and looked at Cairo suggestively.

Cairo furrowed his eyebrows and thought for a moment before laughing, "oh! You mean sex, yeah, okay. We can have sex".

Dimitri chuckled because he wasn't quite expecting such a nonchalant response. "Okay".

Cairo stood up and took a hold of Dimitri's hand. He pulled the older man up and they walked back into their bungalow. Sex had become a slightly more regular occurrence between the two after Elijah had been sentenced to prison. Cairo still had times where he needed to take a moment to stop, but things had gotten much better for him when it came to having sex with Dimitri.

Cairo and Dimitri shared deep kisses on the bed and as things got heated, they began to shed their clothes. Dimitri proceeded to get Cairo relaxed, comfortable, and open, and as he did so, he figured he would never get tired of doing it. He just thought Cairo was so beautiful and caring and he had never been able to understand why or how Elijah had been so cruel to him.

"Do you think those people can see us?" Cairo asked after turning his head to the side and peering out into the bay. Their bungalow had an indoor-outdoor concept similar to the main building of the resort.

Dimitri looked to where Cairo was already looking and noticed the kayak off in the distance.

"Well I sure hope not," Dimitri replied as he pulled his fingers out of Cairo. "That'd be bad if they could".

"I don't know..." Cairo trailed off and looked up at Dimitri since he was on his back.

Dimitri hooked his arms around Cairo's thighs and pulled him closer to him. Dimitri was standing at the edge of the bed and Cairo's lower half was just barely hanging off of it.

"Sounds a bit hot to me, only a little though, you know?" Cairo asked.

Dimitri thought for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "I suppose, indecent exposure is a misdemeanor though, could be a felony depending on the circumstances".

Cairo smiled in amusement, "is it?" He was always intrigued whenever Dimitri started speaking in police terms. "Are you going to arrest me then, Officer?"

"You can't say stuff like that to me or else I'll literally come early," Dimitri stated. "I'm not even joking".

Cairo couldn't help but laugh at Dimitri's words. He used a hand to cover his mouth and giggled some more when Dimitri rolled his eyes.

"Are you ready?" He asked, patting Cairo's bare thigh.

"Yeah, you can put it in me, go on".

Cairo spoke again after Dimitri had pushed himself inside and had given a few thrusts of his hips.

"So you wouldn't want to try role-play?"

Dimitri gave a small laugh and shrugged his shoulders again, "I'm not much of an actor".

"Neither am I," Cairo replied easily, he took his cock in his hand and began to stroke himself slowly. "You've never thought about putting your uniform on and putting me in your handcuffs?"

"Maybe once or twice. I didn't know if you'd be open to it or not. I've been too scared to bring up anything related to sex. I didn't want to accidentally trigger you".

"Dimitri, I don't want you to ever be afraid to talk to me," Cairo said seriously. "I appreciate you looking out for me, but please, talk to me. If it triggers me, then I'll work through it. I don't want you to feel like you can't talk to me".

"Okay," Dimitri nodded his head. "I don't think I'll be able to get through a role-play scene without breaking character a couple of times".

"That's okay, me neither".

Dimitri stared down at Cairo and watched the way he touched himself. Cairo matched the strokes of his hand to the pace of Dimitri's thrusts while his other hand twisted and pulled at one of his nipples. Dimitri didn't say anything as he watched him, but he did smile softly when Cairo's eyes rolled back. Dimitri leaned down and connected their lips in a kiss before softly speaking.

"You're really beautiful, do you know that?"

Cairo hummed and moaned softly, "stop it, you're going to make me blush".

"I think you're beautiful when you blush too".

Laughing lightly, Cairo turned his head and hid his face in the older man's neck. "Dimitri, please".

Dimitri laughed too, "okay, okay, I'll stop for now".

"Thank you," Cairo whispered, he brought a hand up to cup Dimitri's face. He focused on the way Dimitri felt thrusting into him and he sighed quietly before whispering once more. "Make me come, please".

Dimitri listened to Cairo and began to put in the work to make him come. It wasn't very hard and he didn't have to do it for very long before Cairo was throwing his head back and gasping out a breathy stream of "yeah, yeah, yes, I'm coming, fuck".

Cairo held Dimitri close to him and struggled to catch his breath as he listened and felt Dimitri come inside him. The older man grunted and muttered a curse word of his own before dropping his head down into the crook of Cairo's neck. He placed soft kisses there as he hummed softly and quietly breathed through his nose.

"Was I good?" Dimitri asked teasingly. His smiled faltered immediately when Cairo's breathing hitched. Dimitri lifted his head and peered at Cairo only to find his eyes wide with what Dimitri could tell was shock. "What's wrong?"

Cairo blinked and licked his lips before shaking his head, "nothing, it's just... This one time Elijah raped me and afterwards he told me to ask him if I was good. You just caught me by surprise is all". Cairo rushed to continue speaking when he saw how upset Dimitri looked, "I'm fine, I promise".

"I'm so sorry".

"It's alright, you didn't know," Cairo reassured. He placed a hand on Dimitri's cheek and rubbed his thumb back and forth. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm not going to let Elijah ruin this moment for us". Cairo kissed Dimitri's lips, "you were great, I love you".

Dimitri searched Cairo's eyes for any signs that he wasn't okay, when he came up empty, he replied with, "I love you more".

"Hmm," Cairo smiled, "I love you most". He twirled one of Dimitri's dreadlocks around his pointer finger.

Dimitri watched him and murmured, "not possible".

"I know we're sweaty and need to take a shower, but can we just lay here for a minute?"

"We can do whatever you want".

Dimitri laid on his side and draped an arm over Cairo as the younger man turned his head to stare out at the bay. They didn't speak as they listened to one another breathe. Dimitri figured it was probably one of the most peaceful moments he had ever experienced and he was never going to forget it.

Once they finally got up, Dimitri and Cairo took a shower together. By the time they were fresh and clean, it was nearly time for them to head to the beach for their dinner. They got dressed and made the walk to the main building of the resort. Once there, they checked in with the resort staff and was led to the beach. Since it was now dark out due to it being ten o'clock, there was a pathway made out of small, tea candles.

Cairo thought the pathway was pretty, but when he saw the table setup, he thought it was even prettier. The table was draped with a black tablecloth and in the middle of the table was a center piece that consisted of flowers native to Bora Bora and lit candles. There were flowers scattered around the table on the sand as well.

Cairo smiled at Dimitri when the two were seated across from one another at the table. "This is really nice".

"It is," Dimitri agreed, "I wasn't expecting all this".

"Me neither," Cairo shook his head.

The two were approached by their server and given menus. Dimitri ordered a bottle of white wine to start the dinner off as he and Cairo began to figure out what they were in the taste for. Once they were ready to order, they did such thing and then proceeded to talk as they waited for their meals to arrive.

"This trip has been the greatest, I can honestly say it's the best one I've ever taken," Cairo stated as he picked up his glass of wine. "I'm so grateful I was able to go".

"Me too, Fionn and Seven were very generous. We'll have to figure out a better way to thank them, although I doubt we'll be able to come up with anything that can top this".

"Oh, absolutely not," Cairo agreed, "nothing can top gifting someone a vacation out of the country. We know them though, they'll appreciate anything we give them".

When their food arrived, Dimitri and Cairo thanked their server and began to eat. As they did so, they began to reminisce on how they first met and the weeks that proceeded afterwards.

"I still can't believe you first saw me when I was drunk off of my ass," Cairo said as he laughed a little. "What a great first impression, right?"

"God, you were so mouthy," Dimitri said before laughing along with Cairo.

Dimitri sat back and took a brief moment to remember the way Cairo had introduced himself to Dimitri and told him that he could walk just fine when Dimitri accused him of not being able to.

Cairo placed an elbow on the table and then held his head in his hand, "please, don't remind me. That's so embarrassing".

"Oh, come on, it's not. I thought it was cute, and I still do. Do you remember when I saw you in the grocery store? You rounded the corner and had a gallon of milk in your hands. We talked for a bit and then you and Fionn left for the checkout aisle. I remember you walking away and as you did so, you looked over your shoulder back at me and you waved. You looked in front of yourself again before I could bring my hand up to wave back at you. You know, I think it was that moment when I knew you were going to be something to me".

Cairo smiled softly and looked at Dimitri, "I remember". After taking a moment to take a bite of his food, Cairo said, "I remember seeing so much of you afterwards. We ran into each other at the Irish restaurant Fionn and I went to. I invited you over to the apartment to try Irish food. I was so nervous to have you in my apartment, Dimitri. I just wanted everything to go right so you would want to spend more time with me".

Dimitri chuckled, "I remember that, you were so nervous. You were always so nervous around me in the beginning. You'd always stand with your feet together and you would wring your hands together. I'm glad you've gotten so comfortable with me".

Nodding in agreement, Cairo spoke, "me too".

As the entree switched over to dessert, Dimitri and Cairo continued to have easy conversation. Dimitri looked at Cairo from across the table and watched as the younger man smiled at him.

Shaking his head a bit, Dimitri went on to say, "you really are beautiful".

Cairo could feel himself beginning to blush, "you've told me that already".

"I know, but that's just because I don't want you to forget it".

"Well that's very sweet of you, you're very handsome, Dimitri," Cairo complemented. He tilted his head to the side, "is this the part where we start to get sentimental?"

Grinning, Dimitri nodded. "I'm not even just talking about the way you look, Cairo. I'm talking about yourself as a whole. Who you are, personality and all, is really, really beautiful. I have never met anyone with such a kind and caring personality like yours that isn't secretly in it for something. When it comes to you, there's no ulterior motive. You're kind and caring because that's just you, that's just who you are"

Reaching across the table, Dimitri picked up Cairo's hand and intertwined their fingers as he continued to speak.

"I've told you this before, but you're the bravest and strongest person I know. I don't know anyone else who would've fought as hard as you did to come out on the other side of the trauma that you've been through. I just want to say that I'm happy to have met you and thank you for allowing me to get to know you. You've been the only one to stick around despite my job and you've shown me so much love".

"God," Cairo whispered as he wiped underneath his eyes. "I thought I was going to be able to go this whole trip without crying, Dimitri".

"Sorry," Dimitri apologized as he gave a small laugh.

Cairo shook his head and sniffled, "don't be. You don't know how much you mean to me. You've shown me so much love too, do you know that? From the moment we met, you were taking care of me. You've opened up your house to me multiple times when we first met and you eventually let me move into it. You've taught me how to love my body. You didn't leave me when you found out about my past. You've always been there for me and I know I've said it before and I'll go ahead and say it again. Thank you so much for not giving up on me. You've seen me at my lowest and you helped lift me back up again. You and I both know these past few months haven't been easy, but they haven't been nearly as hard as I thought they would be due to you being by my side".

"I love you," Dimitri said, it was one of the most important things he could say to Cairo in that moment.

"I love you more," Cairo was quick to say back.

"I love you most".

"Not possible," Cairo shook his head, "there's just no way".

Dimitri could feel himself getting misty eyed and he shook his head too because he just couldn't believe the love he had found within Cairo.

The younger man puckered his lips and pulled Dimitri's hand closer to him, "kiss, please".

Not being able to reach across the table to reach him, Dimitri stood up and moved his chair so he was now sitting beside Cairo. The two leaned into one another and shared a slow, but passionate kiss. Cairo cupped Dimitri's face in his hands while Dimitri placed a gentle hand on Cairo's thigh.

Both men jumped in surprise at the sudden loud noise of fireworks going off in the distance. Cairo giggled in between the kiss but didn't break away from Dimitri.

Neither men were very superstitious, but as they kissed one another into the new year, they thought it meant something significant. They were both on the same page in knowing that they were it for each other. There was no one else coming along. They had found the person they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with, and as Cairo and Dimitri continued to kiss, the two thought about how they couldn't wait to do just that with one another.


	48. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the book!

In the years to come, Dimitri would go on to earn a promotion to police detective. He worked alongside Ren investigating crimes and finding the suspect. He found himself enjoying being a police detective much more than being a patrol officer. His schedule wasn't as strict as it used to be and it allowed for him to still help the community without being in such a dangerous position. He received a higher pay and was able to gain good job benefits.

While Dimitri earned a promotion, Cairo decided he wanted to go back to college. He saved up enough money to cover the funds that financial aid didn't. With a little financial help from Dimitri as well, much to Cairo's disdain, he was able to go back to school. He received his degree in childhood education and went on to get a job as an elementary school teacher. He taught pre-k and kindergarten aged children and he never got bored. He loved watching the way their faces lit up as they learned new words and grasped the concept of colors.

Dimitri was happy for Cairo that he was able to find something he was passionate in. Dimitri knew he wanted to work in law enforcement by the time he was in high school. Cairo had jumped from major to major for a bit before finally settling on childhood education. Dimitri knew Cairo had made the right choice after watching the younger man come home with a big smile on his face after taking his first class. He'd never smiled as big as he had from any other class that was geared towards one of his previous majors.

Similar to Cairo, Fionn went on to receive a degree of his own. He got his masters degree in animal science and decided he would hold off on pursuing a doctorate degree. He needed a break because quite frankly he had just become tired of being in school. He quit his job of being a bartender and got a job working at a local zoo. It had been his goal to bartend on the side, get his degree, and then move on to work at a zoo.

Seven was still a financial manager and that was fine by him because he still enjoyed his job. He loved the company he worked for and the way he was able to still work with numbers. Just like Dimitri, Seven knew he was going to work with numbers before he was in high school. He was proud of Fionn for getting his masters degree and knowing when it was time to move on from bartending.

Seven and Fionn went on to contemplate buying a house together, but ultimately decided against it. They really did enjoy living in the high rise and for right now, they saw no children in their future. They enjoyed the freedom they had with it being just the two of them. They were able to do spontaneous things such as going out and not coming home until the wee hours of the morning. They didn't have to worry about finding a babysitter or spending money on diapers or formula, and all the other things that came along with having a kid. Not wanting children may change later on in their lives, but for right now they were pleased with what their shared life consisted of.

Dimitri and Cairo both wanted kids, but becoming parents wasn't the first thing on their list of priorities. They were too occupied with planning a wedding first. Dimitri had popped the question and asked Cairo to marry him after their relationship hit the three year mark. Both knew they were going to spend the rest of their lives with each other and they decided getting married was what they wanted to do. They weren't in it for the benefits that came with being married, but they were an added bonus. Dimitri and Cairo wanted to get married because they wanted to become one unit.

Cairo already knew he was going to take Dimitri's last name because for his entire life he had never felt like a Jones. Renae, Charles, Aiden, and Nathaniel felt more like a family to Cairo than his very own and he wanted to be a part of that. Having his last name changed to Alexander would be the last thing Cairo needed to do in order to finally cut all ties to his biological family. He was excited about becoming an Alexander and he couldn't wait for his and Dimitri's wedding day.

They planned to start the process of having children a couple of months after the wedding. They wanted to enjoy being married before jumping into becoming parents. They already knew which route they wanted to take after doing their research. They decided on surrogacy because they wanted to be involved in the pregnancy from the very beginning. They wanted their child to know their medical history which was something that wasn't completely guaranteed when it came to adoption. There was a chance the mother could change her mind through the adoption process and that was something neither Dimitri nor Cairo wanted to potentially deal with. Surrogacy came with its cons as well, but ultimately they decided the surrogacy route was the best option for them.

Cairo and Dimitri were looking forward to beginning the process, but for now they were enjoying their current life. They were happy and neither had any complaints. Cairo had found someone who was always going to be there for him and Dimitri had found the same. They couldn't ask for a better life. Their future was bright and it was going to be filled with a happy marriage and a child or two, and a pet to go along with it.

Cairo may have once forgotten a time in his life where things weren't the best for him, but there was no doubt in his mind that he was ever going to forget the life he was currently making with Dimitri.


End file.
